McIlroy and the European Tour

[MarkFromTheUK]

Stuff like this annoys me. He’s European. Being European doesn’t oblige him to play on the European tour. He wants to play against the best, and that’s in the USA.

 

Golf fans and commentators are far too precious about stuff. It’s bad enough when people whine that player X missed Jack, or Arnie or Bob’s tournament, stating it shows disrespect. Who cares? Play where you want, when you want. Very few sports hark back to history in such a cringeworthy and sycophantic manner that golf does.

[ebrasmus21]

Stuff like this annoys me. He's European. Being European doesn't oblige him to play on the European tour. He wants to play against the best, and that's in the USA.

 

Golf fans and commentators are far too precious about stuff. It's bad enough when people whine that player X missed Jack, or Arnie or Bob's tournament, stating it shows disrespect. Who cares? Play where you want, when you want. Very few sports hark back to history in such a cringeworthy and sycophantic that golf does.

 

Amen, brother.

[Matt J]

Wonder if he's angling for more appearance money?

 

Considering the Irish? Poney up McGinley.

[IVM]

He wants more money to fuel his jet up .

[Lennon Mccartney]

Guy seems lost imho. Pitty.

Maybe the guy wants to prioritize winning Majors and become the best player in the world again...maybe he realizes hes probably the most naturally gifted golfer in history...maybe he isn't delusional about the grandness of the Ryder cup...maybe he knows that real champions are measured by their individual accomplishments in wins/majors...not some glorified exhibition held every two years so guys like Monte, Westwood, and the rest of the European underachievers can enjoy some champagne for a week following the ryder cup...

[imakaveli]

Guy seems lost imho. Pitty.

Maybe the guy wants to prioritize winning Majors and become the best player in the world again...maybe he realizes hes probably the most naturally gifted golfer in history...maybe he isn't delusional about the grandness of the Ryder cup...maybe he knows that real champions are measured by their individual accomplishments in wins/majors...not some glorified exhibition held every two years so guys like Monte, Westwood, and the rest of the European underachievers can enjoy some champagne for a week following the ryder cup...

 

Hey buddy! Good to see you are still around! :D Enjoy the match!

[Hawkeye77]

Guessing when the events are played and we are looking at his results next year at this time, he will have played a schedule not markedly different from the past couple of years. Still time for his schedule to play out and it isn't final, although an event or two may be switched in or out. Not playing the Irish is interesting to me, considerations of the European Tour aside. PGA Tour screwing up the major season by somehow convincing the PGA of America to move the PGA is already having some effects across the board and that won't get better in the coming years. All hail the cup named for a delivery service.

[bladehunter]

Guessing when the events are played and we are looking at his results next year at this time, he will have played a schedule not markedly different from the past couple of years. Still time for his schedule to play out and it isn't final, although an event or two may be switched in or out. Not playing the Irish is interesting to me, considerations of the European Tour aside. PGA Tour screwing up the major season by somehow convincing the PGA of America to move the PGA is already having some effects across the board and that won't get better in the coming years. All hail the cup named for a delivery service.

 

Doesn’t shock me about the irish. He’s played horribly there at least the last 2 years.

[Moleman]

Guessing when the events are played and we are looking at his results next year at this time, he will have played a schedule not markedly different from the past couple of years. Still time for his schedule to play out and it isn't final, although an event or two may be switched in or out. Not playing the Irish is interesting to me, considerations of the European Tour aside. PGA Tour screwing up the major season by somehow convincing the PGA of America to move the PGA is already having some effects across the board and that won't get better in the coming years. All hail the cup named for a delivery service.

 

Doesn’t shock me about the irish. He’s played horribly there at least the last 2 years.

 

Yeah, he played particularly badly there in 2016! ?

[OldTomMorris]

I heard speculation by one golf writer that given how McIlory has been so public with this, when he didn't need to be and it could have been a big distraction, that there is possibly some behind the scenes beef with Keith Pelley and he is sending a message. A very possible but clearly speculative theory at best.

 

For the TV golf spectator it makes no difference we will see Rory regardless but the whole thing is rather curious, he's the only Euro 2018 Ryder Cup player who hasn't made the 2019 commitment to the ET.

[MattyO1984]

I heard speculation by one golf writer that given how McIlory has been so public with this, when he didn't need to be and it could have been a big distraction, that there is possibly some behind the scenes beef with Keith Pelley and he is sending a message. A very possible but clearly speculative theory at best.

 

 

That wouldn't surprise me at all. Given the Euro Tour and the Scottish Open not agreeing to the switch for next year I thought that had maybe been behind it but then he is going to play the Scottish Open it would seem. He is definitely sending out some sort of message, what it actually is, who knows.

[JonnyW]

Maybe it's as simple as he has...and this is pure speculation...a pregnant wife.

 

He doesn't want to tell the world as it's early days but he knows for the next 8 months he wants to stay near home...as a relatively newly wed couple this would make sense, well as much as all the other theories anyway!

[new2g0lf]

Maybe it's as simple as he has...and this is pure speculation...a pregnant wife.

 

He doesn't want to tell the world as it's early days but he knows for the next 8 months he wants to stay near home...as a relatively newly wed couple this would make sense, well as much as all the other theories anyway!

 

That could be but then why comment at all? Rory has been saying some strange things lately, seems he's becoming a bit of a diva.

[nichho]

Guy seems lost imho. Pitty.

Maybe the guy wants to prioritize winning Majors and become the best player in the world again...maybe he realizes hes probably the most naturally gifted golfer in history...maybe he isn't delusional about the grandness of the Ryder cup...maybe he knows that real champions are measured by their individual accomplishments in wins/majors...not some glorified exhibition held every two years so guys like Monte, Westwood, and the rest of the European underachievers can enjoy some champagne for a week following the ryder cup...

 

Hey buddy! Good to see you are still around! :D Enjoy the match!

 

Comes out of the woodwork, spouts some bile, disappears back into thew woodwork.

[imakaveli]

Guy seems lost imho. Pitty.

Maybe the guy wants to prioritize winning Majors and become the best player in the world again...maybe he realizes hes probably the most naturally gifted golfer in history...maybe he isn't delusional about the grandness of the Ryder cup...maybe he knows that real champions are measured by their individual accomplishments in wins/majors...not some glorified exhibition held every two years so guys like Monte, Westwood, and the rest of the European underachievers can enjoy some champagne for a week following the ryder cup...

 

Hey buddy! Good to see you are still around! :D Enjoy the match!

 

Comes out of the woodwork, spouts some bile, disappears back into thew woodwork.

 

He is my personal troll, has been what, 4 years now? :D

[bladehunter]

Guessing when the events are played and we are looking at his results next year at this time, he will have played a schedule not markedly different from the past couple of years. Still time for his schedule to play out and it isn't final, although an event or two may be switched in or out. Not playing the Irish is interesting to me, considerations of the European Tour aside. PGA Tour screwing up the major season by somehow convincing the PGA of America to move the PGA is already having some effects across the board and that won't get better in the coming years. All hail the cup named for a delivery service.

 

Doesn’t shock me about the irish. He’s played horribly there at least the last 2 years.

 

Yeah, he played particularly badly there in 2016! ?

 

17-18. 2. 16 would be 3.

[Bingo1976]

He will end up making the minimum number of events for ET membership (unless he is injured). This is being blow out of all proportion.

[bbedell]

The one negative I see with Rors is he seems to mentally check out if things don't go his way ... like him missing the short eagle on 2 at The Masters in Rd 4. He handed that title to PR

 

PR owns him

[OldTomMorris]

He will end up making the minimum number of events for ET membership (unless he is injured). This is being blow out of all proportion.

 

He might well do but it was Rory who made this a big story by publicly stating he may forego his ET membership hence the interest from fans etc. who naturally think there must be an underlying reason for this. Given the major season is over in July and the PGA Tour finale is in the following month the stated reason (focus on majors) doesn't quite add up.

 

Why create an unnecessary distraction if he has no intention of not fulfilling his tournament quota? He's perfectly entitled to choose his own schedule but there will be interest from fans.

 

Personally I've always been surprised how little he plays on the PGA Tour in the early season and it looks like that will change for 2019, curious to see where he plays. Normally he plays the events in the desert on the ET so that would coincide with Torrey Pines and so on. I could also see him playing Pebble Beach and Riviera too.

[babyfade]

It's not the first time Rory does/says things like that... he should start making news by winning tournaments.

 

all I hear about him is that he doesn't play the olympia, doenst play the ET, doesn't want this, doesn't do that... we already know that he gives a s*** and that he can do what he wants...

 

we get it rory, just start winning again.

[Golfer4Life]

I don’t care what Rory does until Rory start caring about what Rory is doing.

[IVM]

Rory is a legend in his own mind !

[OldTomMorris]

The Forecaddie: Expect Rory McIlroy to remain fixture on European Tour

https://golfweek.com/2018/12/12/the-forecaddie-expect-rory-mcilroy-to-remain-fixture-on-golf-european-tour/

 

"TMOF can only ponder what concessions Pelley made to keep his star player on board."

[bscinstnct]

The Forecaddie: Expect Rory McIlroy to remain fixture on European Tour

https://golfweek.com...-european-tour/

 

"TMOF can only ponder what concessions Pelley made to keep his star player on board."

 

 

[Darth Putter]

The Forecaddie: Expect Rory McIlroy to remain fixture on European Tour

https://golfweek.com...-european-tour/

 

"TMOF can only ponder what concessions Pelley made to keep his star player on board."

 

Even if he does play the full four, can you really call him a fixture?

[OldTomMorris]

Yeah plays minimum or minimum+1 "pure" ET events each year in recent times, hardly a fixture on tour.

 

It would be terrible optics for the tour if the worst case scenario happens with regards to Rory, it now looks like that wont materialise.

[bscinstnct]

The Forecaddie: Expect Rory McIlroy to remain fixture on European Tour

https://golfweek.com...-european-tour/

 

"TMOF can only ponder what concessions Pelley made to keep his star player on board."

 

Concessions were said to include:

 

 

An Oscar Nominee caliber "goodie bag" at his hotel for each event, discretion to play in shorts on hot days, one Mulligan per side and

 

Wednesday evenings preceding UK events, he gets dinner with that smoking assassin on Killing Eve ; )

 

 

 

[nichho]

The Forecaddie: Expect Rory McIlroy to remain fixture on European Tour

https://golfweek.com...-european-tour/

 

"TMOF can only ponder what concessions Pelley made to keep his star player on board."

 

Concessions were said to include:

 

 

An Oscar Nominee caliber "goodie bag" at his hotel for each event, discretion to play in shorts on hot days, one Mulligan per side and

 

Wednesday evenings preceding UK events, he gets dinner with that smoking assassin on Killing Eve ; )

 

 

 

 

 

 

And he is allowed to let his hair grow curly again. (not allowed to actually win an event though).

[IVM]

He is allowed a Police escort so as he does not miss his tee time and his wife will be waiting for him at the course !

[bscinstnct]

Snoop Dog will be his caddie

 

And they both get unlimited Combos (and other munchies) and Ginger Ale!