Rory McIlroy has spoken ahead of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. He is the sultan of the Emirates Golf Club. He has achieved four victories at this venue and is seeking his third consecutive win this week, something rarely seen in the history of the DP World Tour. However, before his usually masterful performance on the golf course begins, the Northern Irishman has once again been brilliant in front of the microphone. When he speaks, he says something. He takes a stand. He has his own opinion. He doesn’t hold back. And he never leaves anyone indifferent. You may agree or disagree, but it’s appreciated. He has spoken about his protégé Tom McKibbin and his signing with LIV Golf, about Seve, the American ambush in the Ryder Cup, the current state of world golf, his schedule… Step right up and see.
About Tom McKibbin
“I’ve known Tom since he was 10 years old and as soon as he received the offer, he called me. I had just landed in New Zealand. We had a very good conversation. I spoke with him a few more times in December to get an idea of what he was thinking and, obviously, to basically know what he was going to do. The only thing I could do was give my perspective. I really like Tom as a person, as a player. I think he has potential to spare. I told him that if I were in his shoes, I would make a different decision than what he’s considering. I think working so hard to earn his PGA Tour card and achieving that goal last year was a great accomplishment. Also, what he is potentially sacrificing, or what he is giving up, like access to the Majors, the possibility of playing in the Ryder Cup… I think nothing is official yet, but if I were in his position and had his potential, as I did at one time, I wouldn’t make that decision. But I’m not him. I’m not in his place. He’s a grown man and can make his own decisions. The only thing I can do is give him my perspective. Personally, for me, it would be a bit disappointing if it happens. On the other hand, I made it perfectly clear to him that I wasn’t going to stand in his way. It’s a decision he needs to make for himself. At the same time, I feel like he’s giving up a lot without gaining much benefit. I would tell him that he can still make a lot of money on the PGA TOUR and the DP World Tour. There’s a lot of money in golf, in fact, some might say too much for the audience watching us. I think whatever the benefit, I don’t think it’s worth the sacrifice for what he’s potentially giving up. That said, whatever path he chooses, I will be a fan of his and help him in any way I can, and he will have to live with it. I think we all see the potential he has. I definitely think he can become one of the top 10 players in the world. But, obviously, his ranking won’t show it for the next two years if he makes one decision over another.”
About Seve Ballesteros and the Ryder Cup
“I told Javier (Ballesteros, who presented Rory with the Seve Ballesteros award this Wednesday) that the legacy his father left, not only in European golf but in world golf, will last forever. All our motivation, everything that unites us as a team in the Ryder Cup is Seve, and we feel we have an advantage because of it. Because, honestly, the Americans don’t have a character like him to rally around. So I think we’re very lucky to have Seve.”
The ambush at Bethpage
“I imagine the preparation at Bethpage will be similar to other Ryder Cups like Medinah or Hazeltine. They’ll cut down the rough. Their players are possibly a bit longer than us. So they’re going to try to take advantage of that distance. And then, we prepared Italy in a way because we knew they were slightly better wedge players than us. So we made some of those par 4s, which you would hit with wedges, reachable in one, forcing them to try. That’s the beauty of the Ryder Cup. You can do it when you have the home advantage. They’re going to set it up according to their strengths, and it’s up to us to try to beat them at what they’re strong at, in addition to dealing with the crowd and all that pressure it’s going to bring. It’s going to be an incredibly difficult task. I think one of the main goals of my career is to try to win another Ryder Cup away from home. I’ve experienced it once, and it was absolutely incredible. I’d love to experience it again, although it’s getting harder to achieve.”
Jon Rahm’s opinion that golf is experiencing a golden age
“Too optimistic, I think. What I would say is that with everything that’s happened in the game over the last two or three years, what I could imagine is that American dominance could become more global. In that sense, I think we’re in a good position. There are incredible players playing in all the tours, which is great. But at the same time, it’s become too fractured and disjointed. I would share his optimism if the game weren’t so disjointed and fractured. Maybe we’ll reach that point in the near future, and if we do, I would share that optimism.”
