Rory McIlroy is ending his five year relationship with Jumeirah Beach Hotels Group, paving for the way for an expected signing to an exclusive deal with Nike next Monday, January 14th.
Jumeirah Beach were the first major commercial sponsor to come on board with the County Down born dual major winner and have reaped a fine reward with prominent branding as he rose swiftly to number one.
There was a strong Irish connection in the shape of Gerald Lawless, Jumeirah’s President and CEO who is a graduate of the Shannon School of Hotel Management.
“We are extremely proud of Rory’s rise to the number one spot with Jumeirah as his principal sponsor since he turned professional,” said Lawless announcing they would be ending the deal.
“We are delighted with his consistent support of Jumeirah hotels & resorts around the world.”
“Rory has been a tremendous ambassador for our brand both as a consummate golfing professional and as a young man with a great future ahead of him. We wish him continued success and we will continue to share a passion for his achievements and to welcome him in each of our hotels.”
[ismember] This is the most amicable of the three relationships which McIlroy has now brought to a close in advance of the move to Nike.  Titleist were the first and Oakley the second.  Oakley are threatening legal action over breach of contract but the expected size of the deal with Nike will be enough to make that seem just a trifle.
Key take away for Sport: The exiting of a commercial partnership is watched closely by other potential future partners to see how it is handled.
Key Take away for Business: Walking away on good terms is always better in terms of the public perception than ending a relationship in acrimony.  In circumstances such as this McIlroy's association through the occasional stay at a Jumeirah Beach property will extend the value of the deal long beyond its contractual life