Harrington also does great work with different elements within the Special Olympics administration.

In today’s professional era it is easy to loathe the sportsmen who adorn it and it’s never-ending commercial riches, but fortunately Ireland still possess some of the most grounded and amicable golfers in the sport.

It is well documented that Rory McIlroy was given the perfect platform growing up to become the budding genius he is today with his parents giving him every available option to pursue his dream of golfing greatness.

So when he almost decapitated a fan with a stray tee shot on Thursday it would be even easier to dismiss him as an unruly spoilt sportsman, caring about no-one but himself.

Not even the predictable gesture of giving the unfortunate fan a signed glove would be enough to melt the hearts of ice possessed by his detractors.

The signed glove is an expected gesture once a fan is struck, and perhaps on TV it looked more like McIlroy was worried about where his ball was and not the young victim’s wellbeing.

But how many people slating McIlroy for his ice-cold emotions would be as quick to praise him for his next gesture? A gesture that showed the man from Holywood‘s real character and true heart.

The gesture happened well away from the glare of the TV cameras so desperate to catch a glimpse of him handing over the signed glove, but was not as widely reported.

What happened after McIlroy’s round was the stuff of dreams for young fan Jason Blue; the 16 year old had been due to stay in a tent during The Open around the complex of Royal Lytham & St.Anne’s but on Thursday his bruised head of a cloud had a very silver lining.

Following his opening round McIlroy saw to it that the youngster and his pal, who were expecting to stay in a tent, stayed in a five star hotel for the night. The Holywood golfer said:

“I hated the thought of him spending the night in a tent after getting that bang on the head.

“I’d like him to have a roof over his head tonight and a comfortable place to stay. It’s the least I can do.”

And McIlroy’s comments afterwards show the true measure of the man that is most definitely a tempered and focused figure; but behind the steely exterior portrayed in the media and on the golf course there lies a heart of gold that the top four Irish golfers seem to naturally possess.

McIlroy is always seen as a focused and ruthless young sportsman, but Thursday’s gesture showed another side to his personality.

Such an incident may seem farfetched and a one-off with professional sportsmen at the top of their game but for Irish golfers generosity and an affable personality, albeit not always a spotlighted one, seem to go hand in hand.

McIlroy is not the first Irish golfer to extend the hand of generosity to someone in need, as Padraig Harrington last year decided that for three tournaments he would offer up his sponsorship slots to the three highest bidders with all proceeds going to charity.

Harrington auctioned off the spaces available on his shirt and cap for The Masters, the Shell Houston Open and the Heritage last season and raised over £200,000 for the Padraig Harrington Charitable Foundation for Gerard Byrne.

Gerard Byrne is Harrington’s wife’s cousin who was sadly paralyzed from the waist down following a car accident and Harrington’s gesture last season was fully endorsed by his own sponsors who backed the Dubliner’s humble effort of kindness.

Harrington was golf’s hottest property not too long ago but it seems the achievements did not change the man too much and his grounded appeal is something his peer and fellow Open winner Darren Clarke possesses.

Clarke was Ireland’s nearly man, the loving father and husband who saw his life come crashing down around him when his wife Heather died in 2006 after a lengthy battle with breast cancer.

Clarke performed a rousing and highly emotional return to golf just six weeks later helping Europe retain the Ryder Cup with some fantastic golf, fighting tears back all the way around The K Club.

But it was only the beginning of a public love affair with Clarke as the nation loves nothing more than a hero with emotion and a down to earth attitude, something Clarke continues to have in spades.

When Clarke won the coveted Claret Jug last year at Royal St.George’s he dedicated the win to his late wife, savouring the moment for what it was and toasting his victory over Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson with many a Guinness and cigar.

Clarke is the kind of sportsman the public love. Not afraid of a drink or meal, he has the game to back up his charismatic lifestyle.

Perhaps he even savoured it too much as was said in some publications but isn’t that what we love? A champion with real honest faults in life?

Clarke doesn’t hide away from who he is, and although his might not be a penchant for charitable endeavours a la McIlroy and Harrington, he is yet another Irish golfer who’s firmly got his feet on the ground. A man with a lot of time for the ordinary person, and not the suits. Even as an Open champion.

Finally from the top brass of Irish golf we have another northerner, if you excuse his American twang that is. See Graeme McDowell is a marmite character in the world of Irish golf.

Many think he’s pompous, arrogant and a man who’s forgotten where he’s from. Others think he’s charming, wily and the most charismatic golfer we have in Ireland today.

One thing’s for sure, G-Mac, as he’s affectionately known, has most certainly not forgotten where he is from. McDowell might have the strangest accent to come out of Portrush post World War II but his Yankee infused twang is a credible characteristic and adds to the persona.

Then again, perhaps that statement is one for the most opinionated among us. However, despite his American accent and apparent loss of locality to the Irish public G-Mac remains on an even keel personality wise.

Major championships change men, just look at Tiger Woods, but McDowell has not changed from his 2011 US Open win. Not much anyway.

McDowell’s suave demeanour and sophisticated charm endear him to many but falls foul of others. Like him or loathe him, G-Mac is a credit to Irish sport for his endeavours on and off the course.

With a major win comes major pressures along with major commercial deals, but thankfully McDowell continued the trend of golfing generosity on the island of Ireland following the win.

McDowell does great work for numerous charities and in February of this year he raised $100,000 alone to a high-bidder for a prestigious round of golf with the former US Open champion.

G-Mac was working at a fundraiser held in aid of Dublin Children’s Hospital in New York as his charity the GMAC Foundation has very strong links with the hospital.

The round of golf with the Portrush man was a staggering take for the hospital and the fundraiser itself accumulated over $500,000 as McDowell mingled with fans and played down his role in the event.

Between these four sporting stars they have amassed six major championships in the last six years but it is remarkable to see that the four men are as rooted in kindness and humbleness as they have ever been.

People may slate sportsmen for their big pay cheques and their lack of affinity with their supporters or local public, but it cannot be said for Ireland’s major winners.

In Harrington, McIlroy, Clarke and McDowell it is clear that Irish golf has four of the best. Four champions with the spirit of giving, men who can mix the skill with the magnanimity to produce an unheralded tonic to sport’s rich and famous.

Related articles