Rory McIlroy defecting to LIV Golf? His former manager puts percentage on that happening
Rory McIlroy has made plenty of news since LIV Golf caused the sport to fracture. From believing the league was dead, to then becoming its biggest critic among his PGA Tour peers, to recently taking a softer stance, something that was recognized by LIV Commissioner Greg Norman.
But this?
McIlroy's former manager said the Jupiter resident and No. 2 golfer in the world could make the shocking move and sign with LIV Golf.
Shock would not describe this move. This would send more volts through the PGA Tour that may not survive.
But Jay Monahan and others at the tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach likely are not losing sleep over Andrew "Chubby" Chandler's comments. Chandler’s International Sports Management managed McIlroy, who is from Northern Ireland, for the first years of McIlory's professional career until 2011.
"If you were being cynical, you might say he's going to sign for about ($810 million) in a month's time with LIV because he's paving the way that LIV's OK now, whereas it wasn't," Chandler told Bunkered, a golf magazine based in Scotland. The interview was facilitated by InstantCasinos.com
"Who knows? He doesn't need ($810 million) but it's odd what he's done and I'm sure it's a possibility. If he does it or not, I don't know, but if (Jon) Rahm can do it, most guys can do it."
Chandler then put the odds at 10% that McIlroy would play for a tour he once said he'd retire from golf before joining.
"He realizes that the whole bickering and fighting is no good for golf," Chandler said. "The man in the street must find it appalling the sums of money being spoken."
Chandler added: "Right at the moment he is performing the most unbelievable 180 turn, isn’t he, it’s just unbelievable."
McIlroy, who will head the field of next week's Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches, had been highly critical of players who left the PGA Tour for LIV. But after Rahm left in December, McIlroy admitted he was "too judgmental" about LIV.
Norman, who lives in Palm Beach Gardens, expressed his appreciation for McIlroy "falling on his sword."
Tyrrell Hatton also made the jump to LIV. Rahm and Hatton were McIlroy's teammates last year on the winning European Ryder Cup team.
More: Rory McIlroy: LIV Golf's Europeans will miss Ryder Cup team more than team will miss them
Chandler believes McIlroy came to regret becoming the face of LIV critics.
"It was terrible for him," Chandler said. "He must have dreaded going into press conferences, to go through the diatribe he did. I firmly believe he was trying to do the right thing for the PGA Tour but why did he manage to put himself on the pedestal he did, and to allow that to happen? I think he lost a few fans, people got a bit fed up of Rory saying this, that and the other in the end. It was all engineered by the PGA Tour, that Rory would stand up for them. He definitely took his eye off the ball.
"It's typical Rory," Chandler added. "Rory is not shy in having an opinion and not slow to apologize if he's got that wrong."
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Rory McIlroy's former manager hinting PGA Tour star could join LIV Golf
