David Maddox: Open Union

After the fuss about Andy Murray wrapping himself in the Union Flag at Wimbledon, it was interesting to see English golfer Ian Poulter go a step further as the Open started at Turnberry today.

His Union Flag top and specially commissioned red, white and blue "Poulter tartan" troosers certainly made a statement in the Borders.

No doubt the local Conservative and Unionist MSP - Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson - would have thoroughly approved of the sentiment, while First Minister Alex Salmond who visited the course the day before would not have found it to his Scottish Nationalist tastes.

But it was interesting that when a Scot wraps himself in the Union Flag in England it sparks far more debate and discussion than when an Englishman does the same in Scotland.

Murray's statement provoked political debate and questions over whether he had been got at by the marketing men to help turn Henman Hill into Murray Mound.

Poulter's just led to the usual raised eyebrows about the now expected flamboyant dress sense of a man inspired by his mother, a former shop manager at Dorothy Perkins.