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As Rory McIlroy wiped his tears, tried and failed to compose himself and donned the green jacket at the US Masters, the cameras cut back to the Sky Sports studio where Paul McGinley tried to analyse the sensational victory but took an unexpected path in doing so.

The Dubliner, usually so gushing about the player, spoke of a person who "wasn't everyone’s cup of tea" and "divided opinion" mere minutes after some of the loudest cheers to ever come from the mouths of the Augusta patrons.

To be fair to McGinley, he took to social media on Monday afternoon in attempt to clarify the remarks, describing them as a "ham-fisted" attempt at praise.

Still, ill-fitting of the moment, no doubt. A grain of truth? Possibly. Probably.

It seems uniquely Irish that perhaps our greatest ever sports star (a debate for another day) has a global popularity that can be matched by so few in the history of this small island, but at home, that backing isn’t guaranteed in the way that is for a Shane Lowry or a Pádraig Harrington.

Firstly, it’s important to note that the County Down man is immensely popular in Ireland, but that support - and any opposition to it - is viscerally delivered.

Test it out. If you’re in a Whatsapp group with friends, was the reaction to his victory completely positive?

In my own main group of 16 people, two openly dislike McIlroy, another few don’t follow the golf too closely and one man only sends one message a year to wish everyone a happy Christmas.

That seems to be the way of it, loved by most, and disliked by the few.

While the galleries still chanted his name (as they had been doing for hours at the often staid and reserved Augusta) McGinley’s comments put the question of McIlroy's popularity at home front and centre.

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