DESPITE THE DEMANDS OF FAME, MCILROY REMAINS ENDEARINGLY DRAWN TO PEOPLE.
Country Club, where he lost by one to Wyndham Clark. Such setbacks have caused his career clock to tick louder, and it seems Mc- Ilroy is allowing the pendulum within to swing more towards what he used to consider selfishness. Though he main- tained a high level of play throughout 2023, he won only once – at the Genesis Scottish Open in July – and began to feel worn down by his role on the policy board. He was also left dispirited by not having been consulted before the surprise June 6 announcement of the “framework” agreement between the PGA Tour and the PIF. At a press con- ference the day after, McIlroy said that after many months of “putting my- self out there,” he felt like a “sacrifi- cial lamb.” He also used the occasion to vent at the entity whose disruption had taken so much time and attention away from his game and his family – wife, Erica, and their 2-year-old daugh- ter, Poppy. “I hate LIV,” he said. “Like, I hate LIV. I hope it goes away.” In November, McIlroy resigned as a player director. “I just didn’t feel like I could commit the time and energy into doing that,” he says. “Something had to give, and I felt like it was the right time to step off.” Says Faxon, who served four three-year terms on the board during his career, “Rory’s two years were like 10 normal ones.” McIlroy’s explanation included the words, “as I try to get ramped up for Augusta.” The upcoming Masters will mark the 10th time a victory would give him the career Grand Slam. That’s pantheon stuff. If our Arnie Award recipient has any lingering mis- givings about taking a step back from the front lines of the battle for profes- sional golf’s future and a step forward as a golfer, a simple truth should clear his mind. If he wins the Masters, he’ll be giving back like never before.
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 107
MARCH/APRIL 2024
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting