There’s never a dull moment with Rory McIlroy, is there? Given that the Northern Irishman has already won the Race to Dubai – or the order of merit in old money – many were thinking that this week’s DP World Tour Championship would be something of an anti-climax. Well, think again.
On the eve of the $10 million showpiece at the Jumeriah Golf Estates, eye-opening confirmation came through that McIlroy had resigned from his powerful position on the PGA Tour’s policy board.
While his memo to the US circuit’s heid honcho, Jay Monahan, wasn’t quite as lively as Suella Braverman’s meaty missive to the Prime Minister the other day, it still came as a bit of a bombshell.
McIlroy has been heavily embroiled on the frontline of golf’s power struggle over the last two tumultuous years, and he has made no secret of the fact that the attritional struggle involving the established tours and the LIV Golf rebellion has left him battle fatigued. No wonder.
One high-powered meeting that he was involved in during the week of a tournament at the height of the strife rumbled on for seven hours. It sounds just like The Herald sports desk’s morning conference.
It’s clear that McIlroy wants to concentrate on doing what he does best – thwacking a little ball around a glorified field – rather than be bogged down in the mire of heated meetings and lengthy phone calls that have become par for the course.
When the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which bankrolls the LIV series, stunned the golfing world by calling an armistice and unveiling a framework agreement to work together, McIlroy was left as gobsmacked as everybody else.
The 34-year-old clearly felt betrayed – he once referred to himself as a “sacrificial lamb” - as a series of clandestine discussions and nod-and-a-wink dealings went on in the whispering shadows.
The various parties involved in the framework agreement gave a deadline of December 31 to hammer home the deal but, due to the multitude of complexities involved, that looks likely to be missed.
There’s also talk of the PIF being jettisoned in favour of a vast financial package cobbled together by a posse of US-based investors. The uneasy truce would swiftly collapse and all and sundry would return to the trenches in preparation for a resumption of hostilities. It’s probably a good job McIlroy has retreated from the front.
Jon Rahm certainly thinks so. And the Spaniard certainly won’t be rushing to fill the vacancy either. “Absolutely no chance,” he said. “I've been asked a couple times if I have any interest but I'm not going to spend time in six, seven-hour long meetings. I'm not here for that.”
Rory’s resignation still came as something of a surprise to the Masters champion. “Did I expect it?” he said. “Not really. But I can understand why somebody would do, especially with everything that's involved.”
Rahm is back in his happy ground of Dubai and last year’s DP World Tour champion is aiming for a fourth win in the circuit’s end-of-year extravaganza. The 29-year-old, who sits in second place on the Race to Dubai, opted out of last week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge and that, effectively, handed McIlroy the No 1 spot for the fifth time.
“I think it's more disappointing for the fans,” said Rahm of the fact that there won’t be a showdown for the rankings title over the next four days. “But it’s mainly my fault. I could have tried to go to the Nedbank and get a few more points to give myself a chance this week. He did what he needed to do. And I didn’t.”
On the home front, Robert MacIntyre will aim to rubberstamp his PGA Tour card and begin a new chapter in his career across the Atlantic. The Scot is set to earn one of 10 cards on offer for the lucrative US circuit through the DP World Tour rankings. With it, he will also re-locate from Oban to Orlando as he strives to take his game to the next level.
For Marc Warren, meanwhile, it’s back to the drawing board as the four-time tour champion failed to make the grade at the qualifying school final in Spain.
Warren, who lost his full playing rights after a season of toil, sagged to a closing 76 in the six-round slog and was well out of contention for one of the 25 tour cards up for grabs.
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