Rory McIlroy to prioritise ‘birdies and bogeys’ over business battles in Canadian Open defence
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy admits he must focus on golf rather than boardroom battles after describing this week’s press conference as “the most uncomfortable” he’d felt in 12 months.
Bidding for a third successive win in the RBC Canadian Open, where he opened with a one-under 71, the world No 3 confessed he’ll be happier if he sticks to his game.
“This is business, and my job is playing golf at the end of the day,” McIlroy said. “So the more that I can focus on that and focus on the birdies and the bogeys instead of the stuff that’s happened in the boardroom, I’ll be much happier.”
Asked if he felt more pressure on or off the course, he said: “Off. You know, the most uncomfortable I’ve felt in the last 12 months was my press conference yesterday.”
After saying on Wednesday he felt like a “sacrificial lamb”, McIlroy admitted he had to plead with playing partner Justin Rose not to chat about the merger between the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) until after their round.
“We started to get in a conversation walking down the first, and we’re like, ‘No, let’s stop this. Let’s just focus on our golf, and we’ll say what we want to say when we get inside’,” McIlroy explained.
The Holywood star closed with his fifth birdie of the day at the par-three ninth to trail early leaders Aaron Rai, Justin Lower, Corey Conners and Chesson Hadley by four shots.
But he still faced questions on PIF and admitted he’s impressed by its Governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, having played golf with him and met him socially at sporting events. “Harvard Business School,” he said. “Runs 700/800 billions worth of dollars and invested in a ton of different companies. He’s a very smart, impressive man.”
Potential compensation for the PGA Tour loyalists is now on the table, but Paul McGinley believes commissioner Jay Monahan faces a “real problem” to persuade them they are not the losers in golf’s peace deal.
“He’s obviously in a very tricky position,” McGinley told Sky Sports News. “He’s got his players to back him, he’s been very, very strong anti-LIV, he’s been very, very strong trying to build up the PGA Tour. A lot of players have not gone over to LIV because of his persuasion, and now, all of a sudden, there’s a deal done, and these guys look like they’re isolated.
He added: “It may look like the LIV guys that went over there and took the money are now coming back in and they’re the winners.
"They’ve been very giddy on social media, and they look like they’re the smartest guys in the room now because they went over, and that really isolates the PGA Tour players who remained loyal. I think that’s where there’s a disconnect for Jay, and that’s where he’s got a real problem.”
Shane Lowry finished on even par after an opening round of 72, while Dubliner David Carey finished a shot further back on one over.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Yannick Paul has given himself another chance to boost his Ryder Cup chances after opening with a course record, seven-under 65 in the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed in Stockholm to share the lead with Denmark’s Niklas Norgaard.
In the Andalucía Challenge de Cádiz, Kinsale’s John Murphy made an eagle and four birdies in a five-under 67 to share eighth place, four shots behind Italy’s Filippo Celli and Sam Hutsby.
