Lure of US Tour proving very tempting to McIlroy

GOLF WORLD MATCHPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP: WILL HE or won't he? It appears nobody knows, not even the player himself.

Speculation about whether Rory McIlroy will join the US Tour next season has been rife since the Holywood sensation burst onto the American scene at the WGC World Matchplay Championship in February.

Two weeks ago, McIlroy said he was “80 per cent” sure he would not be taking up his American card next year. Then, last week, his agent, Andrew Chandler, appeared to put the matter to rest when he informed the US-based SportsBusiness Journal by email that, “Rory has decided not to join the PGA Tour in 2010”.

McIlroy, however, begs to differ.

“That’s not correct,” he said in Spain, where he will face US Masters champion Angel Cabrera in the first of three round-robin matches in the inaugural Volvo World Matchplay Championship tomorrow. “I am still thinking about it. I love playing in America. I play well over there and I am still thinking about taking out my PGA Tour card next year.

“There are a few things to weigh up. For instance, I don’t want to try to play an event in America and come straight back to play one in Europe. That’s tough. I am not saying that money is a factor in this, but the European Tour has been hit a lot harder by the economic crisis than the American tour.

“Look at the Frys.com Open last week. There was no one in the top-20 in the world in the field and yet they were still playing for $5 million (€3.36m).”

McIlroy is third in the Race to Dubai standings having been leapfrogged by Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer over the past fortnight thanks to the Englishman’s win in the Portugal Masters and the German’s runner-up finish in the Castello Masters.

Money is clearly not an issue for him as he has earned over €2 million on the European Tour alone this year and will pick up a minimum of €120,000 for his appearance in this week’s 16-man event.

McIlroy appears to be more concerned about putting together a viable schedule than adding to his bulging bank balance, and he points out that the early-season European Tour schedule is more or less forcing him to play in America until May’s PGA Championship at Wentworth.

“If you are not in the top-50 in the world on the European Tour next year, you are going to have a six-week break after the ‘Gulf Swing’ where you are not going to play very much,” he said.

“After Dubai there is not going to be an event for a while. The only way you can play golf if you are a member of the European Tour is to be in the top-50 in the world and play the Accenture Matchplay, Honda, Doral, then Houston, the Masters, Wachovia, the Players. You’re not back until Wentworth.

“I love playing over here but I love playing the States as well, because it really suits my game.

“Why am I waiting (to decide)? Just to think about it. Just to mull it over. It is a big decision and it is going to mean more time away from home, which is a big factor.

“I wouldn’t buy a US base. I’d probably rent a place in West Palm Beach for six weeks and I have been thinking about it. Nothing has been decided.”

He has another month to make up his mind before the PGA Tour’s December 1st deadline, and with the Race to Dubai still up for grabs he is more worried about getting some feel on the greens after a disappointing performance with the putter in Portugal, where he was ranked first for greens in regulation and 63rd for putting.

“I hit it great in Portugal but I’ve worked hard on my putting and been listening to a few Bob Rotella audio books. I just feel like I need to free everything up. I still work with (putting coach) Paul Hurrion but I just need to let it flow a bit more . . .”

The field has been divided in four groups of four with players playing three, 18-hole round robin matches to a finish over the first two days. The winner of each group will qualify for Saturday’s 36-hole semi-finals.

“The course sets up for me,” said McIlroy, who plays Simon Dyson and Henrik Stenson on Friday. “It is a little bit similar to the matchplay course in Tucson. It’s a long course that doesn’t play that long and the greens are really fast and sloping. You have to have your short-game head on.”