A private secretary to the Northern Ireland Parliament narrowly missed injury from a golf ball hit by Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness – as Rory McIlroy looked on.

The newly crowned US Open champion was guest of honor at the Ulster Assembly when he gave McGuinness and First Minister Peter Robinson a quick golf lesson.
Robinson, who recently took up the game, proved adept with a seven iron but McGuinness was all at sea.

The Sinn Fein deputy leader narrowly missed one of his private secretaries with a wayward shot as a bemused McIlroy watched.

According to eye witnesses, McIlroy had a worried look on his face as an attempted chip shot from McGuinness flew towards the female member of staff on the lawn at Stormont Castle.

Thankfully the ball fell short of the secretary, much to the relief of a red faced McGuinness, and all present were able to laugh off the incident, McIlroy included.

Rory Fever also gripped his old school when he made a surprise visit to Sullivan Upper School before his trip to Stormont.

“A few of the teachers will tell you I probably wasn’t the best pupil you’ve ever seen, but it’s good to be back,” said McIlroy

“It was tough juggling school and golf. I was away quite a lot so every time I came back I was always trying to catch up.

“All I wanted to do was play golf and I knew by the time I was 15 or 16 that that was the path I was going to take.”

McIlroy is currently enjoying some well earned down time after his exertions at Congressional.

He spent two days this week at Wimbledon where he met up with new pal Rafa Nadal and received a standing ovation when he took his seat in the Royal Box.

McIlroy will travel to Germany on Saturday for the world heavyweight title fight between Britain’s David Haye and Wladimir Klitschko.