Rory McIlroy has insisted he had his right to ignore Patrick Reed at a driving range in Dubai after reports emerged that the American had thrown a golf tee at the world No. 1 in disgust. McIlroy announced that he was served with court papers by Reed on Christmas Eve at his Florida home.
Reed approached McIlroy at Monday’s Dubai Desert Classic but was eclipsed by the Northern Irishman. McIlroy was unaware of a later object throw, but used his pre-tournament press conference to explain his stance on Reed.
“Patrick came up to say hello and I really didn’t want him to do that,” McIlroy said. “As far as I can remember, that was it. I didn’t see a tee. I didn’t feel a drop. Obviously someone else saw that. But it’s definitely a storm in a teacup. I can’t believe this actually turned into a story, it’s nothing.
“I was summoned by his attorney on Christmas Eve. Trying to have a quality time with my family and someone shows up on your doorstep and delivers it will not take you well.
“I live in reality, I don’t know where he lives. If I were him, I wouldn’t expect a hello or a handshake.”
Reed has launched a defamation case against the Golf Channel and its analyst Brandel Chamblee, whom he alleges conspired with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan to defame him. Reed now plays the majority of his golf on the Rebel LIV tour. The 2018 Masters champion’s attorney, Larry Klayman, has also claimed that McIlroy, Davis Love III and Tiger Woods were co-conspirators in the PGA Tour’s cartel plot to destroy LIV.
McIlroy added: “I was downstairs with my bag and he came towards me. I was busy working and sort of doing my practice. I didn’t feel the need to acknowledge him.
“I didn’t see a tee shot in my direction at all, but apparently that’s what happened. And if the roles were reversed and I threw that shirt at him, I would expect a lawsuit.”
After McIlroy, Reed said, “We all know where being a part of LIV came from. Since my t-shirts are Team Aces LIV t-shirts, I slipped one to him. It was kind of a fun shot back. Funny how a little streak turned out to be basically me stabbing him and throwing him a t-shirt.
“It’s unfortunate because we’ve always had a good relationship. But it’s one of those things, if you act like an immature little kid, you might as well be treated like one.
This bizarre affair dominated discussion ahead of McIlroy’s first competitive start in 2023. Of course, LIV was also talked about after it was revealed that circuit commissioner Greg Norman would be given additional powers. LIV has been hit by two high-profile retirements since its first season ended in October.
“If the chief executive doesn’t have a leadership team, I don’t know how strong that is,” McIlroy said. “He can’t do it himself. He has to rely on a team like we all rely on teams to get things done. If you act almost alone, it becomes quite difficult.”
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Last year, McIlroy appeared as a regular, unofficial spokesman for golf’s traditional tours as LIV tried to persuade players to make Saudi Arabian millions.
“There’s no point in just being a mouthpiece if you can’t back that up with playing good golf and showing people what rewards can be had out here if you play well,” said the 33-year-old. “It’s a performance-based system. That’s the thing I’ve always struggled with: when a five-year-old boy or girl knows they’re working hard and getting the results, in golf there’s a performance-based system right down to junior golf, amateur golf, all the way to the pro level and they can make it to the top levels of the game.
“That’s the only thing that came into play that disrupted that. It’s not a performance-based system.”
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“It’s a shame” that Masters is no longer on terrestrial television, says McIlroy
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World No. 1 Rory McIlroy believes it will be “unfortunate” if the Masters isn’t shown on terrestrial television.
The first major championship of the year is just over two months away but the BBC will not renew their contract to show highlights of Augusta National action, according to a report in the Telegraph.
When asked in his pre-Hero Dubai Desert Classic press conference if it would be a shame for the tournament to lose its earthly presence, McIlroy said: “I mean it is. I think if you’re feeling nostalgic yes it is growing up watching The Masters and The Open on BBC.
“I just think the sports, media and entertainment landscape has changed so much in the last 10 years that it’s no longer the role model, right.
“Either Sky in the UK or streaming services. And the rights to these sporting events have just gotten so expensive that it’s just not feasible for companies like the BBC to pay that kind of money.
“Is it a pity? Yes, but I would say the majority of homes in the UK have Sky and people can still watch TV.”
Asked for a response to the Telegraph story, a BBC spokesman told the PA news agency: “We do not comment on the sports rights negotiations.” PA media
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Two wins in as many PGA Tour tournaments for Jon Rahm have reignited debate over the validity of the golf ranking system. Rahm is currently number 3 in the world. Instead of fueling the debate, McIlroy showered the Spaniard with praise.
“We all know that Jon is one of the best players in the world,” McIlroy said. “It doesn’t really matter whether there’s a one or a two next to his name. He has won four of his last six events. He plays the best golf he has played in his career. He hasn’t had a long career, but throughout his career he’s consistently played at a very, very high level. It was a fantastic start to the year.”