Coming (back) to America
U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy is “leaning towards” taking up PGA Tour membership again next year. What’s that sound you hear? Champagne bottles uncorking from PGA Tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida! Heck, the media room is buzzing with excitement from the news.
“I’m leaning towards taking my card up again,” said McIlroy during his presser at Firestone, site of this week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. “I feel as if I play my best golf over here. I’m very comfortable in this country. I’m definitely looking towards coming back and playing a full schedule here.
“I’ve thought about it and feel my game really suits playing courses over here. I love Quail Hollow, Memorial, Akron. You play Match Play, Honda, Doral, Masters – you have your favorite events and most of my favorite events seem to be on this side of the pond
“I’d like to give it a go again and last more than one year and see how it goes.”
What swayed McIlroy to return? Well, you may remember his comments after last month’s British Open. Which is what prompted his interest.
“The reaction?” asked a reporter.
“No, the weather,” Rory replied, laughing.
McIlroy gave up his card after the 2010 season, saying he wasn’t fond of playing in the end-of-the-season FedEx Cup playoffs and wanting to be closer to home.
“The only thing about the FedEx was that you only got a week off after the PGA and then straight back into four weeks out of five that were pretty tough,” said McIlroy. It’s hard to keep it going for that length of time. But yeah, it’s something that you just have to accept.”
What about The Players, the Tour’s marquee event that he skipped this season?
“Most likely, yeah, I probably will (play in it),” he said.
Rory-mania!
PGA Tour Chief of Operations Andy Pazder said Rory expressed his interest to him, along with Ross Berlin, in the morning. There would be no restrictions if Rory wants to return next year.
“He certainly gave strong indication (in the press conference),” said Pazder. “He has plenty of time to make a final decision and if it works out that he’s rejoining the PGA Tour, obviously we’re ecstatic about that. An immense talent and a personable young man, he’d be an asset for us, no question.”
With the Tour renegotiating important (and lucrative) TV contracts this year, McIlroy would be a valuable bargaining chip.
While Rory hasn’t made a final decision, the odds appear to be very good. He plans to go house-shopping after the PGA Championship.
“I might go and stay with G-Mac for a night at Lake Nona and see what that’s like and then down in West Palm Beach and Jupiter,” said McIlroy.
And then there’s Rory’s personal life, which has significantly changed lately.
Just before the British Open, McIlroy broke up with longtime girlfriend Holly Sweeney, whom he lived with in Belfast. Since then, he’s been linked to world no. 1 tennis player Caroline Wozniacki. Asked about the public scrutiny of his personal life, Rory understands it’s something that comes along with the territory.
“The person I am holding hands with, we are both in a position where there’s a high level of scrutiny,” said McIlroy, referring to Wozniacki. “It’s just something you have to deal with. It’s not something that is ever going to go away, or I hope it doesn’t go away because it would mean I wasn’t playing good golf. It’s part of my career now.”
Did the changes at home factor into his decision?
“Maybe a little bit,” he said, pausing. “Yeah, definitely.”
(AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)
It will be good to get him playing over here more and give the young American superstars a run for their money
Rory’s game is much better suited to the US PGA tour. Target golf will suit Rory down to the ground and could see him win a lot more golf tournaments.
Hope McIlroy never loses his honesty, even if it hurts sometimes. Like the Townsend reaction, he’ll learn that complaints and criticism should be made face to face.
He sounds like a 22 yr old, with his new life decision du jour. One year he wants to play in Europe with his Ryder cup mates because they are so close and have a good time. Now he wants to play in America so he can be with the girl he just met who can now drink legally in America. Next year he will want to be on the Australian tour after having such a great time at the Presidents cup.
Is Rory eligible to compete on the Nationwide tour if he so chooses?
I think Big Perm is actually “Better than Most.” If so please leave the board because you have nothing constructive to say. Thank you in advance.
Data Check for me, but the purses on the PGA tour are much larger than the Euro Tour, and he’ll get Euro sponsors no matter what, but likely not American sponsors as a full time Euro Tour player.
Play the PGA, your game suits it better, and well there is all that CASH !
Can we say flip-flop?
Very excited about the idea of him playing in the states more. He’s a lot of fun to watch play golf.
That being said I wonder if the media isn’t overselling this a little bit. While the media room might be buzzing, I don’t get the same sense from fans (and my twitter feed didn’t either). Rory is a nice get for the tour, but in terms of tv negotiations does he really move the needle yet? Are you (tv execs) willing to risk money on the possibility that he will?
@Shoshana, I think it’s pretty much a done deal that he’s rejoining. When I was asking G-Mac about it, I said: “What do you think of Rory rejoining the Tour?” Not: “What do you think of the possibility”…Semantics, yes, but I got the sense that it’s probably going to happen. He definitely moves the needle…at least when it comes to the popularity of posts that have to do with him.
And the crowd reaction at tournaments since the US Open…wow.
Maybe he finally looked the locations and prize money spec for the tour – Azores Open, Andalusian Masters, ect. suddenly driving around FL and Cali for a month Waac sounds kind of nice
people are totally misreading the fact that he is moving to America because of Wozniacki. He is moving to America because he isn’t dating a chick from his town anymore. Wozniacki has no real base here in America (besides an NYC apt) and rarely spends time here outside of tournament weeks. give him some credit for not making life decisions based on a girl he met two weeks ago. he is making these decisions because he decided the girl from his town isn’t worth him sticking around.
@Stephanie, fair enough and good to hear
. That being said if I only got my sports news from sportscenter or the front webpages of any major sports outlet, I would have no clue he’d even said it. (otoh I’d know that Barkley was po’d at TW for firing his caddie, wtf?)
dont blow this out of proportion. he’ll play what, 15 events, instead of 12?
Also, doesn’t being a US Open champion automatically give him a card no matter how many times he plays? What really changes here (besides those 4 extra events)? Just being able to qualify for the playoffs?