Rory’s £75m club deal
Rory mcilroy has signed a new 10-year deal with Taylormade clubs to go with one agreed last month for Nike apparel worth a staggering combined total of £230million.
The newly-married 28-year-old has capitalised fully on his status as not only golf’s biggest star but one of the most marketable sportsmen on the planet.
Taylormade also sponsor runaway world No 1 Dustin Johnson and third-ranked Jason Day, but the £75m deal with mcilroy (below) dwarfs comfortably the agreements made with that pair. The one signed by mcilroy with Nike last month, worth £155m, is also in a league of its own.
Big business was the order of a remarkable day here in Florida, for mcilroy’s news came shortly after the equally eye-watering announcement that the PGA Tour have agreed a 10-year extension of their Fedex contract.
No wonder new commissioner Jay monahan could not stop smiling.
As if spending £270m over the past 10 years in bonus pool money to support the Fedex Cup wasn’t enough, that amount will almost double over the next decade to £505m, taking the commitment to £775m. That doesn’t sound like a company worried about the game’s future, does it? After a weekend on the european Tour when all the talk was of needing new formats to grow the sport, the picture presented on this side of the water by monahan could hardly have been more contrasting. referring to all sorts of data showing participation in the sport in America is growing at an unprecedented rate across all age groups, he posted ‘house full’ signs in terms of the 4 7 - event PGA Tour schedule, with no room to accommodate even the Us President. Asked if there was any prospect of a return to Donald Trump’s course at Doral in miami, he replied: ‘We’ll continue to talk to the Trump organisation but there’s nothing to say at this point in time because we don’t have any openings on our schedule.’
As for mcilroy, after all the wonderful things that have happened to him since the masters, you won’t be surprised to read he looked the picture of happiness.
‘i’ve been on tour for 10 years now, and with getting married and this new equipment deal, i feel like i’m starting a new chapter in my life that will hopefully take my game to another level,’ said mcilroy, who, following his marriage to American erica stoll, revealed he will take up Us residency on January 1.
sporting a wedding ring, he talked a little about the very private occasion at Ashford Castle in mayo that generated so much speculation.
For the record, ‘only’ stevie Wonder sang during a long weekend among family and friends that mcilroy described as ‘ the best of my life’.
Among the guests was his great friend sergio Garcia, and mcilroy revealed that he cried with happiness when the spaniard holed the winning putt at the masters.
‘i wouldn’t like to tell you how fast i drove to make sure i got home to watch the last few holes,’ said the Northern irishman. ‘When i saw him at the wedding i gave him the biggest man-hug i could. it’s a long way to Austin, where sergio is going to get married after the open at Birkdale, but i’ll be there and i’m hoping he will make me a groomsman.’
All this, and the best event on the PGA Tour — the Players Championship — to follow tomorrow. mcilroy, by the way, is playing with Johnson in the first two rounds.
Buckle up. This is going to be good.