Rory McIlroy quits PGA Tour board because of heavy workload

DUBAI – Rory McIlroy’s sudden and surprising decision to

resign from the PGA Tour policy board

was because he had so many commitments, that “something had to give”.

Following an opening round of one-under 71 at the US$10.5 million (S$14 million) DP World Tour Championship on Nov 16, the Northern Irishman explained his move.

“There are only so many hours in the day, and there are only so many days in the week, and I’ve got a lot going on in my life right now,” the four-time Major champion said.

“I am trying to be a world-class golfer, trying to be a good husband and a good father.

“I’ve got a growing investment portfolio that’s taken up more of my time, I’m involved with the TGL (virtual golf league with Tiger Woods). I’ve got a lot of stuff going on.

“With the policy board stuff, obviously, it’s taken more of my time than ever this year.

“I just feel like there are people that are there that are able to spend more time and put more energy into it than I am right now. And it’s better if someone else takes that spot of mine.”

The world No. 2 was also caught in the middle of the debate over the PGA Tour’s pending investment deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, announced in June without his knowledge.

“I stepped up and spoke out about something I believed in and obviously, the landscape changed in June with that announcement,” added McIlroy, who had publicly backed the PGA Tour only to feel like a “sacrificial lamb”.

“It was never in my control, but I was playing a lesser part from there on because of the decisions that were made.

“I’m happy to be busy, but I like being busy doing my own things. And it just got to the point where I just couldn’t fit it all.

“As I try to get ramped up for Augusta and all those tournaments, I just can’t see myself putting the time and the energy into it.”

McIlroy was four shots behind Dane Nicolai Hojgaard and the French pair of Julien Guerrier and Matthieu Pavon, after the first round of the DP World Tour Championship.

The two Frenchmen were bogey-free for their 67s, while Hojgaard, who represented Europe in the Ryder Cup, made six birdies after bogeying the fourth hole.

Elsewhere, Cameron Young, Eric Cole and Davis Thompson turned in rounds of six-under 66 to set the pace before play was suspended at the RSM Classic in St Simons Island, Georgia.

The finale of the FedExCup Fall series suffered from an inclement weather delay of more than 2½ hours on Nov 16 afternoon. Play resumed at 4.18pm local time before darkness fell an hour later.

Ninety players in the 155-man field will need to complete their rounds when play resumes on Nov 17 morning. AFP, REUTERS