Rory McIlroy’s Father Like Kid In A Candy Store Receiving So Many Golf Clubs For Ex-Nike Backed Star.

Bethpage Park, NY … Four-time Major winning Rory McIlroy revealed his father is revelling in Nike’s decision to abandon its golf equipment business given poor worldwide domestic sales.

McIlroy, who switched to using Nike clubs at the start of 2013, said he only learnt about the Nike Golf move two hours before the news went public, and with Nike Golf citing poor domestic sales of its clubs.

But then McIlroy, who tees-up in today’s (THU) commencing Barclays Championship at Bethpage Park on New York’s Long Island, is in no rush to sign any new equipment deal other than replacing his Nike putter with a Scotty Cameron brand and the same putter, only an updated version, he used to capture the 2011 US Open.

However, his father Gerry has been like a kid in a candy store with rival equipment manufacturers sending clubs to McIlroy’s parent’s home in suburban Holywood, Belfast.

Rory McIlroy says his father is revelling in receiving so many golf clubs now that his son is no longer backed by Nike Golf.

Rory McIlroy says his father is revelling in receiving so many golf clubs now that his son is no longer backed by Nike Golf.

“Dad is like a kid in a candy store and can’t believe all the clubs that have been arriving and he’s enjoying it so much,” said McIlroy smiling.

“I’ve never been one to hoard clubs as I am just happy to give them away.”

McIlroy intends sticking with the Nike clubs and ball for some time to come with his only change being to sway a Nike ‘Method’ putter to a Scotty Cameron ‘mullet’ putter that was presented to him during the recent PGA Championship at Baltusrol

Four-time Major winning Rory McIlroy revealed his father is revelling in Nike’s decision to abandon its golf equipment business given poor worldwide sales.

McIlroy, who switched to using Nike clubs at the start of 2013, said he only learnt about the Nike Golf move two hours before the news went public just post the PGA Championship.

But while many Nike Golf ‘staff’ players have made a switch to rivals companies, McIlroy who tees-up in today’s (THU) commencing Barclays Championship at Bethpage Park on New York’s Long Island, is in no rush to sign any new equipment deal other than replacing his Nike putter with a Scotty Cameron brand and the same putter, only an updated version, he used to capture the 2011 US Open.

However, his father Gerry has been like a kid in a candy store with rival equipment manufacturers sending clubs to McIlroy’s parent’s home in suburban Holywood, Belfast.

Rory McIlroy at his pre Barclays Championship press conference today.

Rory McIlroy at his pre Barclays Championship press conference today.

“Dad can’t believe all the clubs that have been arriving to the house and he’s like a kid in a candy store and he’s enjoying it so much,” said McIlroy smiling.

“I’ve never been one to hoard clubs as I am just happy to give them away.

“Everyone seems to know I’ve changed putters and with everything else in the bag I am happy.  I’ve also got Nike to save me a lot of golf balls so I’ve got about three years’ worth of golf balls, so at least I have a golf ball that I like and I know I can play with.

“We’ll have to see where do we go from here but then I am not going to commit to anything for the time being.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see me not go with a manufacturer for a year or two, just sort of play with what I want to play with, what I’m comfortable with, and go from there.

“But then the news came as a shock to all of us and I only heard about two hours before the announcement.”

The new Scotty Cameron was presented to him during the recent PGA Championship at Baltusrol and will replace McIlroy’s Nike ‘Method’ putter.

McIlroy has returned to competition for the first of nine events he will play up to and including his final event of 2016 and that is the defence of his DP World Tour Championship title in November.

Included in that is a fourth  Ryder Cuo appearance and with McIlroy in good spirits when asked by a New York reporter  if USA Ryder Cup captain, Davis Love 111 could gain a winning advantage by indicating Hazeltine will be set-up so that his  long-hitting team members will be advantaged.

“Well, I think he (Love 111) wanted it long and little rough at Medinah, as well,” said McIlroy.

“Can’t remember how that turned out (smiling)”.

And McIlroy has thrown his weight behind Scotland’s Russell Knox getting one of Darren Clarke’s three ‘wildcard’ picks, and given the US-based Scot finished one place shy of qualifying automatically for Clarke’s side.

“For starters, I would not like to be in Darren’s shoes for one minute next Tuesday as he’s going to have to disappoint more than one person, as there’s a handful of guys he could choose and he’s going to have to ring them to say ‘sorry, I’m not picking you’”, said McIlroy

“We all know, and Russell’s being saying this, that if he had of been a member of the European Tour when he won the HSBC Champions late last year we would not be having this discussion as he would have qualified automatically.

“So he’s effectively won twice during the qualifying period and on results he should be in the team.”



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