Report by Anand Datla
October 21, 2014: Rory McIlroy is bracing himself for an acrimonious court battle with his former management company. The ace golfer has been wrangling with his erstwhile managers over a contract he signed over three years ago, one which he walked away from last year. After the two parties failed to resolve the matter through a mediation that was facilitated by the court, the case is set for a full court hearing. In order to focus on the legal wrangle, McIlroy is set to take a short break from the sport.
The 25 year old will skip the BMW Masters at the end of this month and the WGC-HSBC Champions in the middle of November. “I’m going to need time away from tournament golf to prepare for the trial over my legal dispute with Horizon Sports Management,” McIlroy said in a statement. “The court-directed mediation process failed over the weekend to resolve the issue.”
The world No.1 is expected to return to action at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, to participate in the grand finale to the ‘Race to Dubai.’ With McIlroy seeking to become only the sixth golfer ever to complete a career grand slam by winning the Augusta Masters next year, this could not have come at a worse time for the golfer.
His case with Horizon Sports Management is set for a hearing in February next year, just two months from the first major on the golfing calendar. Though McIlroy could still play the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic early next year, he could miss the entire West Coast swing yet again.
It will be very interesting to see how the young man can deal with such a major distraction even as he pursues a potentially drawn out battle against his former management company. Irrespective of which way the verdict falls, it is difficult to see McIlroy retain a monk like focus that is needed for him to challenge for the Masters title next season.
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