World No. 1 Rory McIlroy has sought to reaffirm his decision to defend next month’s Australian Open title in Sydney.
This is after McIlroy earlier this week took the European Tour by complete surprise in declaring he is withdrawing from the opening two events of the Tour’s ‘Final Four Series’ that commence next week in Shanghai.
McIlroy was due to tee up in the October 30th starting BMW Masters and the following week’s WGC- HSBC Champions event, and also being staged in Shanghai.
The four-time Major winner is opting out of the pair of China events to prepare himself for a March 2015 Dublin Court case after mediation last weekend in his legal dispute with former management company Horizon Sports Management failed to resolve the matter.
“I’m going to need time away from tournament golf to prepare for the trail over my legal dispute with Horizon Sports Management,” said McIlroy in a statement.
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy reaffirms decision to defend his Australian Open title.
However McIlroy hasn’t totally disappointed the European Tour indicating he will compete in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship commencing on November 20th in Dubai.
But speculation has grown McIlroy may opt out of returning to Sydney a week later to defend his Australian Open title at the Australian Club where he will be joined by Ryder Cup rival Jordan Spieth, and competing in Australia for a first time in his career.
“Rory’s only changes to his 2014 schedule is his appearance in the BMW Masters and the HSBC Champions,” said a spokesman for his management company, Rory McIlroy Inc.
“So it means Rory competing in the DP World Tour Championship and then travelling to Sydney to defend his Emirates Australian Open title.”
McIlroy had come from a shot behind reigning Masters champion and Australian hero Adam Scott to birdie the final hole while Scott bogeyed to hand McIlroy his only victory of 2013.
And McIlroy singled out his success along the Sydney Harbour shoreline as pivotal to his success in 2014 that has seen him capture two Majors, a first WGC title and the European Tour’s flagship BMW PGA Championship.
McIlroy’s Shanghai absence will mean the European Tour affording him ‘special dispensation’ given his promotional importance to the two China events.
However McIlroy could virtually sit out all four Final Series events, including the November 13th staring Turkish Airlines Open, given he is currently more than Euro 3.1m ($US 3.941m) ahead of nearest Race to Dubai rival Sergio Garcia of Spain.
When McIlroy does return to compete in Dubai he will be among just 60 players contesting the DP World Tour Championship and with the top-15 finishes also sharing in a Euro 3.92m ($US 5m) bonus pool.
Two years ago McIlroy birdied the final five holes in Dubai to become both the PGA Tour and European Tour season money winner.
