Rory

[Deleted member 15344]

Rory has said he might not play enough on the European Tour next year to retain membership. Pretty shocking and a huge kick in the teeth for the tour.

I wonder if this decision is held to the same standard on here as other players making the same decision...

Guess aimed at me so must reply

If he does indeed only play a minimum then it’s very poor , in fact shocking especially when the tour was the one that helped get where he is. Have a feeling he will end up playing the required amount

Kaymer has also said something similar and both pointing towards the standard of the fields playing against and imo it’s because of the stupid world ranking system

Needs to find a way to assign points to an event regardless of who is playing

 

[TheDiablo]

Guess aimed at me so must reply

If he does indeed only play a minimum then it’s very poor , in fact shocking especially when the tour was the one that helped get where he is. Have a feeling he will end up playing the required amount

Kaymer has also said something similar and both pointing towards the standard of the fields playing against and imo it’s because of the stupid world ranking system

Needs to find a way to assign points to an event regardless of who is playing

Not aimed at anyone specific, if it was I’d call them out. Plenty have criticised European players for making choices best suited to them as if they owe the ET something which isnt something I remotely agree with. It’s still a huge shock for the ET though and sponsors aren’t going to be impressed.

It’s nothing to do with world ranking points, it’s prize money and lifestyle. I don’t blame any that have made that choice whatsoever.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Not aimed at anyone specific, if it was I’d call them out. Plenty have criticised European players for making choices best suited to them as if they owe the ET something which isnt something I remotely agree with. It’s still a huge shock for the ET though and sponsors aren’t going to be impressed.

It’s nothing to do with world ranking points, it’s prize money and lifestyle. I don’t blame any that have made that choice whatsoever.

I think a lot of times the money follows the ranking points - chicken and egg scenario

If comps have higher ranking points then players will have a higher chance of playing knowing the more points gets them into the bigger events like WGC and Majors , and if sponsors know that the “better” players will play then the money may well increase

 

[TheDiablo]

I think a lot of times the money follows the ranking points - chicken and egg scenario

If comps have higher ranking points then players will have a higher chance of playing knowing the more points gets them into the bigger events like WGC and Majors , and if sponsors know that the “better” players will play then the money may well increase

Yeah I agree it's chicken and egg. For one reason or another the PGA has jumped a long way ahead of the ET, and so to reverse that through ranking points would need a manual intervention that the PGA would never agree to.

 

[User62651]

Imo he is the best natural talentin the field, but whilst that was enough when he exploded on the scene it isnt now. He tends to have 2/3 good rounds and a poor won. Almost becoming a Kuchar in that he’s always in the money but rarely properly contends.


Quite often he’ll start a Sunday within a shot or two. Fall 4 behind through the round and let the winner waltz it, only to hit a few birdies at the end when he’s relaxed and out of it and somewhat paint over the cracks.

That's why Rory is always a good each way bet, gets you a few quid back just when you thought all was lost!

 

[Steve Bamford]

I think this says more about the European Tour than Rory. Justin Rose can't be arsed to play the DP World Tour Championship (along with Paul Casey naturally) and then Rory says he's unlikely to play the minimum 4 tournaments. Not a great week at Wentworth.

 

[rksquire]

Wow, as someone who loves Rory I think this is a terrible mistake.

I think he plays better when he plays regularly. 13 weeks off, kickstarting in March in America, I already know all the soundbites (It's close, bit of work to do, not far away) but no guarantee in March that he makes cuts. I know he'll practice in those 13 weeks but we've seen him have extensive lay-offs where he's been working on things and really when he applies them in competition he's not much better. For example, having played last week, expect him to be much better in competition this week.

I understand the ET is a poor relation; he's one of the few Europeans that sprinkles stardust in the field when he pitches up so this is even more disappointing and basically suggests to European players that you need to get on the US tour. He may be about majors personally but I think the comments are poor.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Rory has said he might not play enough on the European Tour next year to retain membership. Pretty shocking and a huge kick in the teeth for the tour.

I wonder if this decision is held to the same standard on here as other players making the same decision...

Maybe he needs to play more on the European Tour. He doesn't need the money and the amounts he can win or lose in ET events will make little or no difference to his future. And if he isn't completing for big bucks maybe the focus he will got on the ET - and the challenge that all the young GB&I and European players will present might give him a different focus -= and take him back to his roots.

 

[User62651]

Dont get people's views on this.

Why is giving up the European Tour and associated travelling to focus on the bigger USPGA Tour (where you also live) a bad thing? It is what it is, their tour is bigger and more lucrative than ours.

It's like asking someone who's playing on the European Tour why they dont play some events on the Challenge Tour any more, just because they used to play there.

Ryder Cup qualification is all that's problematic from not playing on the ET as a European. Imo that's not going to go well for the Euroepan Team selection. 3 days every 2 years for RC doesn't and shouldn't override where you want to play your week to week professional golf bearing in mind factors like family and reducing travelling/jetlag.

European Tour had a good number of years off Rory, he's moved on, so we look to the next top player evolving on the European Tour.

 

[Dasit]

The world's best should be allowed to play the PGA tour in the US, it is a far far superior standard.


Crazy the current situation of flying across the Atlantic and changing time zone every other week. Especially when you are settled with family in one country.


Good on Rory, I don't blame anyone for settling on the PGA tour. Personally screw the European tour, it has become sub standard, been to a few events this year and they were awful.

 

[Papas1982]

The world's best should be allowed to play the PGA tour in the US, it is a far far superior standard.


Crazy the current situation of flying across the Atlantic and changing time zone every other week. Especially when you are settled with family in one country.


Good on Rory, I don't blame anyone for settling on the PGA tour. Personally screw the European tour, it has become sub standard, been to a few events this year and they were awful.

What about all the Europeans that started out there and gained big enough support that they could play on the pga tour?

What if the European tour stated that to play on it, when you first qualify. You must agree to play 4/5 events yearly or you simply don’t get your card? The European tour launched a lot of players and it seems that they forget that.

Tbf to Rory, he doesn’t have a massive schedule and isn’t doing it to chase money he doesn’t need. But I can’t see how the top players can’t manage a few weeks of the year.

 

[Sports_Fanatic]

As someone who follows the European tour, as well as a supporter of the Europeans in the Ryder Cup which Rory is a big part then its very disappointing news. I understand it is a slightly unknown season with the new diary of events and how that pans out so I'd expect a few players will want to keep options open.

I would though say this talk of the European Tour making him is a little far fetched. He was a name as an amateur before joining the tour, made his professional debut in 2007 and by the end of 2008 was within the top 50 so played a lot of US events from this date. He's not a player who was ever a mainstay of the European Tour before going over to the US later in his career. I'd therefore suggest he's offered significant support to the European Tour through his appearances rather than vice versa given he didn't need the challenge tour route etc.

Only argument against that is perhaps the invites that got him up the world rankings in that first year but I believe he turned down invites from the US around the same time.

 

[Papas1982]

As someone who follows the European tour, as well as a supporter of the Europeans in the Ryder Cup which Rory is a big part then its very disappointing news. I understand it is a slightly unknown season with the new diary of events and how that pans out so I'd expect a few players will want to keep options open.

I would though say this talk of the European Tour making him is a little far fetched. He was a name as an amateur before joining the tour, made his professional debut in 2007 and by the end of 2008 was within the top 50 so played a lot of US events from this date. He's not a player who was ever a mainstay of the European Tour before going over to the US later in his career. I'd therefore suggest he's offered significant support to the European Tour through his appearances rather than vice versa given he didn't need the challenge tour route etc.

Only argument against that is perhaps the invites that got him up the world rankings in that first year but I believe he turned down invites from the US around the same time.

I agree Rory was always destined to succeed. My point about the European tour is that for many they disregard it as soon as they hit the us. For me that’s wrong.

We all know that the players love the Ryder Cup. Imo if they want to participate in that, then they should earn that right. How much was made of our players succeeding due to not always playing us courses? That may nit really of had a bearing, but plenty claimed it did, and now players don’t even want to play on anything but the money tour.

 

[Sports_Fanatic]

I agree Rory was always destined to succeed. My point about the European tour is that for many they disregard it as soon as they hit the us. For me that’s wrong.

We all know that the players love the Ryder Cup. Imo if they want to participate in that, then they should earn that right. How much was made of our players succeeding due to not always playing us courses? That may nit really of had a bearing, but plenty claimed it did, and now players don’t even want to play on anything but the money tour.

I can definitely understand that and agree that the variety makes the players more rounded both on types of golf courses and the culture experienced (ish - they probably don't leave the course that much). I also think that he'll play the minimum amount as well particularly if he had a good start.

I can also see though that for an occasional year it may freshen things to reduce the schedule, try to keep it in a similar time zone and not have to cross the Atlantic back and forth, which whilst luxury won't be a lot of fun and they're away for a substantial amount of time when tournaments are back to back. Compare that with an event in the US where they can share a private plane with their mates and be home by Sunday night.

 

[Dasit]

I do watch the European tour, I just don't think Paul Casey and now looks like Rory, getting bad press for not playing/keep their card.

Top level pros should be allowed to choose where they play, without the consequences the European Tour have put on players, like not having a ryder cup place.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think the ET have been more than fair to its members and made it as easy as possible to play a minimum number of events to retain tour status and this does smack of selfishness by McIlroy. It could cause RC issues and he has been an integral part of the side and I'd envisage the next captain already having him pencilled into their plans. The ET did a lot to support McIlroy when he turned pro his sponsorship exemptions. How difficult is it in the grand scheme of things, to factor a few other events in. I would hope between now and having to make a final decision McIlroy, the tour and his management can have a chat and come to an agreement

 

[mhwgc]

You can't really blame Rory for wanting to stick to the PGA tour, most of the events have higher ranking points and more prize money. He clearly thinks that this will give him a better chance of getting back to world no.1 and winning more majors. His game is more suited to courses that he can bomb a driver off the tee and not get penalised for missing the fairways and that's mostly how the PGA sets it's courses up, this should help him get his confidence back and if he starts holing puts as well, then who knows what could happen.

He can then review this at the end of next year and see if it's worked. He hasn't won a Major since 2014 and only won once in the last 2 years so he certainly needs to change something. If he's not careful the likes of Thomas, Koepka and Spieth etc will have moved past him in terms of major wins and he'll slip outside of the world top ten. You've also got a certain Tiger back on the scene and it will be a brave man not to predict him winning more in 2019 and possibly even a major.

 

[bluewolf]

Loving all these posts regarding Rory "owing" the Euro Tour because that's where he started. Apply that same logic to any other sport and see just how ludicrous it is. It's like telling Ronaldo that he should have returned to the Premier League because that's where he made his name.

He's a Top Sportsman who has got where he is due to hard work and immense natural talent. He can decide where he wants to play and I don't blame him for choosing the PGA Tour. That's where I'd be. 3 Majors per year on that Tour. More WGC's. more money, better weather, he lives there with his new wife and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that she's pregnant in a few months..

Oh, and he'll hit form again soon enough. He's too good not to.. And he will be a "Great" even if he isn't yet..

 

[mhwgc]

I think the ET have been more than fair to its members and made it as easy as possible to play a minimum number of events to retain tour status and this does smack of selfishness by McIlroy. It could cause RC issues and he has been an integral part of the side and I'd envisage the next captain already having him pencilled into their plans. The ET did a lot to support McIlroy when he turned pro his sponsorship exemptions. How difficult is it in the grand scheme of things, to factor a few other events in. I would hope between now and having to make a final decision McIlroy, the tour and his management can have a chat and come to an agreement

I think he only needs to be registered with the ET in the year of the Ryder Cup so won't have to worry until 2020.

 

[Wolf]

I've got to admit the whole Rory owes the tour thing imo is garbage it's like saying we all owe our first ever employers a debt of gratitude so we will go back to work for them for 4 weeks a year....

Nobody owes any tour anything, they're no different to all self employed businesses they go where the most lucrative opportunities are and who can blame them