PGA Tour Beware, Here Comes Rory!
20-year-old Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy has officially decided to accept his US PGA Tour card for the 2010 season.
"I just feel I will become a better golfer if I also play in America,” McIlroy said yesterday at the Hong Kong Open. “I will be playing in world class fields with more world ranking points on offer and the only way for me to get better is to play alongside better players.”
McIlroy, who is undoubtedly aware of how the European Tour and it’s fans will view the loss of yet another big star to the US PGA Tour, quickly followed by making clear his ultimate intentions.
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"The European Tour will still be my home tour. I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea that I'm just going away to America because that is not what I'm planning.” McIlroy said.
The smooth swinging native of Ulster, Ireland, whom both Tiger Woods and Ernie Els have predicted to be the next number one ranked player in the world, won his first professional event earlier this year at the Dubai Desert Classic.
McIlroy finished inside of the top-20 at three out of this year’s four major championships, including top-10s at the US Open and US PGA Championship. He also finished within the top-10 at two out of the four World Golf Championship events.
McIlroy, who played in 11 PGA Tour recognized events in 2009, will need to play in at least 15 events in 2010 to retain his tour card for the following year.
Aside from the competition factor, the PGA Tour is also where the money lies in golf.
Virtually every tournament awards more the $1 million to the winner, there are more world golf ranking points available, endorsement deals are widespread and lucrative, not to mention that the PGA Tour’s end-of-the-year playoff system (The FedEx Cup) has not had to slash it’s purse like the European Tour’s Race to Dubai was forced to do this year as a result of the tough economy.
It would be a surprise if McIlroy, who is currently ranked 17th in the world, did not crack the top-10 next season while playing on the PGA Tour.
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