Rory McIlroy and the Mysterious Case of the Missing U.S. Open Trophy

Horizon Sports has been representing Rory McIlory for less than two months, and they already find themselves involved in one of the most bizarre situations they have or ever will face.  

Horizon is attempting to retrieve McIlroy’s U.S. Open Trophy from Chinese Customs Officials, who are unwilling to release the trophy.

McIlory had planned to showcase his U.S. Open trophy during his recent trip to Asia and the Middle East.  So, the trophy was shipped to China by McIlroy’s former management company ISM.

When the trophy arrived at the Lake Maclaren Shanghai Masters, neither McIlory, a McIlroy representative or a tournament official were there to claim the trophy, so it was subsequently sent back to the shipping depot and eventually wound up in the hands of Chinese customs agents.

“ISM shipped the trophy out in its special protective box to Shanghai and the Lake Maclaren Shanghai Masters but there was no one present at the course to receive it so it was taken back to the shipping agents depot,” Horizon Sports Conor Ridge told Reuters last week.

Horizon Management is now working hand in hand with the USGA, IMG, ISM and presumably a team of lawyers to retrieve the U.S. Open Trophy.  Horizon has even sent an employee over the Shanghai to try and smooth out the situation and retrieve the trophy, but to no avail.  

In 1975 Roger Maltbie won the Pleasant Valley Classic in Massachusetts and then proceeded to hit up the nearest watering hole to celebrate his victory. The next morning Maltbie woke up and realized that he had somehow lost his $40,000 first place check.  After unsuccessfully attempting to retrace his steps from the previous night, Maltbie was forced to place an embarrassing phone call to the tournament director asking him cancel the original check and write him a new one.

After winning the 1924 PGA Championship, Walter Hagen predictably spent a night out on the town celebrating his latest triumph. While making his way home that night, Hagen inadvertently left the PGA Championship Trophy in a cab.

Hagen was technically required to return the trophy to the PGA of America the following year.  But for four consecutive years between 1924 and 1928, Hagen happened to win the PGA Championship and each year he simply said that he did not bring the trophy along because he knew he would take the title and be awarded possession of the trophy for another year.  No point in lugging the trophy all the way to the tournament and then back home again was how Hagen explained its absence to PGA officials.

After Hagen lost in the quarterfinals of the 1928 PGA Championship, he was finally forced to admit that he had misplaced the trophy four years earlier.

Apparently the trophy actually did turn up at the back of an old warehouse in Detroit many years later, but by that time the PGA of America had already moved on to a new Wanamaker Trophy.

McIlory didn’t lose the U.S. Open Trophy while out celebrating a victory.  The loss of the trophy was likely the result of some kind of customs technicality or a simple misunderstanding.   

That being said, we are now six months away from the 2012 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club and the trophy is currently sitting in some Chinese customs warehouse.

One would have to believe that between McIlory, Horizon Sports, ISM and the USGA there will be a swift resolution to this U.S. Open Trophy hostage crises.  

But what happens if the Chinese do not release the trophy?

Will the winner of the 2012 U.S. Open  be awarded the inaugural Mike Davis Trophy?

Let’s hope not.

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