McIlroy likely to clinch Race to Dubai without playing

[boogielicious]

From Golf Channel.   Now if he could just win that lawsuit.

Quote:

McIlroy likely to clinch Race to Dubai without playing

By

Ryan Lavner

November 10, 2014, 8:52 am

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Rory McIlroy likely secured the European Tour ’s season-long Race to Dubai title on Sunday without hitting a shot during this Final Series.

The world No. 1 said he skipped the first two events – the BMW Masters and last week’s WGC-HSBC Champions – to focus on his upcoming court case against his former management team.

He’ll return next week at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, but his 2,950,000-point lead over Jamie Donaldson is nearly insurmountable with only two events left in the Race to Dubai. McIlroy is now in line for a $1.25 million bonus.

This season, McIlroy won the BMW PGA Championship (Europe’s flagship event), Open Championship, WGC-Bridgestone and PGA Championship to soar to the top of the European rankings. It is his second Race to Dubai title in the past three years (2012).

Last year, the European Tour forced players to compete in two of the three Final Series events to be eligible for the bonus pool and DP World Tour Championship. The circuit reversed course and relaxed that rule in March, following a wave of player criticism.

Jamie Donaldson, Sergio Garcia and Marcel Siem all have a (slim) mathematical chance, but they’ll have to win the next two events and then get some help from McIlroy to become Europe’s No. 1.

[Ernest Jones]

From Golf Channel.   Now if he could just win that lawsuit.

That's my boy!!

He should either a) drop that lawsuit and just go back to making ludicrous gobs of cash playing golf or b) hand off the legal stuff 100% to lawyers and representatives. This business of taking time off golf to "prepare" for the hearing is ridiculous.

[FarawayFairways]

I'd agree with you

McIlroy recently said that he no longer plays golf for money. Well after signing his sportswear contract he certainly doesn't need to, but by extension this lawsuit is really about money. It doesn't really add up.  I can understand it I suppose if he genuinely feels cheated and wants to right a wrong as a matter deeply held principle, but I can't think of many sports people whose games improve when they're distracted, and especially in a field like this. Tony Lema played better once he was free of his agreement, but that was of a completely different nature. McIlroy's game only really rebounded once he was free of Wozniacki. If he gets himself stuck in litigation he could easily lose a year.

[Yukari]

I'd agree with you

McIlroy recently said that he no longer plays golf for money. Well after signing his sportswear contract he certainly doesn't need to, but by extension this lawsuit is really about money. It doesn't really add up.  I can understand it I suppose if he genuinely feels cheated and wants to right a wrong as a matter deeply held principle, but I can't think of many sports people whose games improve when they're distracted, and especially in a field like this. Tony Lema played better once he was free of his agreement, but that was of a completely different nature. McIlroy's game only really rebounded once he was free of Wozniacki. If he gets himself stuck in litigation he could easily lose a year.

I would have to disagree with that assessment.  I think it is more of getting back at being deceived or unfairly treated (compared to G-Mac, it seems).  While the money is a factor, I think the main reason is being treated unequally compared to his buddy G-Mac.

To the OP's point, this seems almost like early years of FedEx Cup when Tiger and Vijay locked-up the title before the Tournament of Champion event.

[FarawayFairways]

I would have to disagree with that assessment.  I think it is more of getting back at being deceived or unfairly treated (compared to G-Mac, it seems).  While the money is a factor, I think the main reason is being treated unequally compared to his buddy G-Mac.

In fairness, I did leave that possibility open

"I can understand it I suppose if he genuinely feels cheated and wants to right a wrong as a matter deeply held principle"

I'm struggling to think that his game will benefit, but sometimes in life you have to set professional considerations aside and trust that things will come back to themselves