It Was a Nervous Late Late McIlroy

The Illinois policeman who ensured Rory McIlroy made it to his Ryder Cup singles match on time said the 23-year-old was a "nervous" passenger as he was driven to Medinah Country Club.

Mcllroy was due to face American Keegan Bradley at 11:25 local time but misread his tee time.

The Europe player made it with 10 minutes to spare after being given a lift by deputy chief Pat Rollins.

"He was nervous. If I was in his shoes I'd have been as well!" said Rollins.

The rest of the European team had spent at least an hour at the course preparing for their matches, but Mcllroy's late arrival meant he was only able to hurriedly eat an energy bar and take a few practice swings before having to dash to the first tee.

However, his disrupted preparation seemed not to affect the two-time major winner - McIlroy won his singles match 2&1.

Rollins said he had no idea when he arrived at the players' hotel he would end up driving the number one ranked player in the world.

"I had gone to the hotel to check in with our officers. I realised that one player had not come down from their room yet to get transported by the drivers to the course," Rollins told BBC Radio 5 live.

"He rode in the front passenger's seat with me. We whisked him away up to the course. I had radioed ahead, just to make sure certain lanes of traffic were opened for us so we could make it to the course with time to spare.

"He was receiving a lot of phone calls en route. We had minimal conversation, but he was a great gentleman."

The European lynchpin and world number one arrived at the course 10 minutes before his tee time. Two minutes late and he would have forfeited the opening hole against Keegan Bradley, five minutes late and he faced disqualification.

Had McIlroy missed his match by five minutes he faced disqualification, the point being awarded to America. The hosts only lost the Ryder Cup by a single point, so had Rollins not delivered the player to the course his country would have won.

However, the officer insisted he could not have handled the situation in any other way.

"I took it as a job well done. I'm getting ribbed at work for this, but in the end I am very proud of our force and our community. We did the right thing and of course I would have done the same for the American team," he said.

Another American who generated headlines on Monday was ESPN columnist Gene Wojciechowski, whose prediction on Saturday night that the European challenge was finished created controversy on social media websites.

"Firstly, congratulations to Team Europe," Wojciechowski told 5 live. "It was a remarkable, impressive, historic, emotional, stunning, shocking victory that will go down in the Ryder Cup record books as easily the best comeback in Cup history.

"Then, well, I don't want to call it an apology. But let's just say I've spent most of the day at home preparing my humble pie recipe.

"I'm more than happy to take the heat. I don't regret writing the column, but in this case I was 100% wrong."

Related articles

• Donald gives Europe 1st point at Ryder Cup
• McIlroy Barely Makes Tee Time
• Rory McIlroy to take on Keegan Bradley in Ryder Cup showdown at Medinah
• McIlroy in Ryder Cup times mixup
• U.S. stunned by loss
• Rory McIlroy Gets Time Zones Mixed Up, Nearly Misses Tee Time at Ryder Cup

Williams Scarred by Cronje Scandal

Henry Williams has told BBC Radio 5 live that his involvement in the Hansie Cronje cricket match-fixing scandal of 2000 has left a "permanent scar".

Williams, who played seven one-day internationals for South Africa, took around £10,000 from ex-captain Cronje to play badly against India in 2000.

"You can't forget things in life, it's left a permanent scar," said Williams, 44, who was banned for six months.

Cronje got a life ban for admitting to receiving £100,000 from bookmakers.

Fellow South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs was given a six-month ban for his part in the scandal.

The week marks the 10th anniversary of the plane crash that killed Cronje.

"He [Cronje] never said, 'Sorry for what I did to harm you', or anything," added Williams. "He's dead now and he still worries me.

"When they [acquaintances] sit with friends and have parties they will talk about it and say, 'There's that cheat walking'. You can feel people talking about you behind your back."

Meanwhile, former South Africa international Clive Rice said that more measures had to be put in place to prevent match-fixing scandals from happening.

"I think players need protecting," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

"A youngster coming through may not have wealthy parents. They suddenly have big carrots being dangled in front of them. They have to know to not get involved."

Boycott Says Alastair is Complete Cook

Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott says Alastair Cook looks like a "complete player" following his second successive one-day international ton.

Cook is the first England captain to achieve the feat, adding 102 to his career-best 137 from Monday, as the tourists beat Pakistan by 20 runs.

Boycott said: "It was totally different to how he played in the Test matches.

"His feet are moving well, he's getting right forward and right back. He seems to have a wider range of shot."

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live Breakfast, Boycott added: "He is driving through the covers and punching the ball off the back foot.

"He looks like the complete player so you start to think why didn't he play like that in when you needed 140 to win the Test in Abu Dhabi?"

Victory in Abu Dhabi gave England a 2-0 series lead and the tourists now head to Dubai for the third one-day international where they will look to tie up the four-match series.

The tourists endured a torrid time in preceding Test series, slumping to a 3-0 series defeat.

However, Cook finally got England back to winning ways in the first one-day international at the Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, as his sublime 137 underpinned a comprehensive 130-run victory.

And two days later, Cook was dropped on 28 but anchored the innings again in calm fashion with 10 fours in 102 from 121 balls.

All matches are day-night; ODIs start at 1100 GMT, T20s at 1600

He said: "To score two hundreds in a row doesn't happen very often in any form of cricket.

"Obviously I'm delighted and, with a little bit of luck along the way, thankfully I made it count.

"But you're not quite so bothered about your own batting as captain because you're thinking about the team.

"We've been saying all along you don't become bad players overnight. It's important when you do get a little bit of a run you cash in. I'm delighted I managed to do that.

"With [Shahid] Afridi in, they were in the game because seven-an-over is nothing, but we held our nerve and stayed calm.

"It was a big difference from what we have done. Everyone contributed to a really good team performance, a really good win."

Moore Expects Worse RFU News

Former England hooker Brian Moore believes there is worse to come despite Rob Andrew's claim that English rugby has hit "rock bottom."

Andrew, the Rugby Football Union's elite director of rugby, made his comments in a BBC Sport interview.

Moore, who won 64 caps for England, said he felt there would be "a lot of blood-letting to come".

We can't accept the 'always trying hard' situation as an excuse for someone to stay in a positionFormer England hooker Brian Moore

He added: "If they [England] don't succeed, someone has to pay the price."

Following the leaking of confidential reports into England's poor showing at the Rugby World Cup, Andrew said he took some responsibility for what went on in New Zealand as well as for the ongoing crisis at the RFU, which has been riven by internal infighting.

But in an interview with BBC Sport on Thursday, the former England fly-half reiterated his stance that he would not resign.

"I absolutely accept responsibility for what is going on here," he said.

"Does it mean I'm going to resign? No I'm not. Does it mean it's all broken? No it doesn't."

Moore said "someone" within the RFU needed to take the blame following a string of problems on and off the field.

Martin Johnson has already quit as England manager, while attack coach Brian Smith announced he was stepping down on Thursday.

"We can't accept the 'always trying hard' situation as an excuse for someone to stay in a position," Moore told BBC Radio 5 live. "I don't care what you label it as, it's not good enough.

"I had a problem with Martin Johnson's press conference when he left as he didn't say why he was leaving. Now it looks like we know why.

"I have a bit of a problem with players criticising coaches with anonymity but, at the end of the day, the fact is these comments have been made and it's inconceivable that management weren't aware of it."

The leaked reports, which have been published in The Times newspaper, reveal the full extent of problems in the World Cup squad.

But Moore remains confident that England will move forward once a new head coach is named and the backroom issues are resolved.

Northampton Saints coach Jim Mallinder is among the frontrunners to take over from Johnson, while former South Africa coach Nick Mallett has ruled himself out of the running.