Rory McIlroy is in Dublin this week and has drawn the world’s media to town. It’s not for the Irish Open though or the launch of a mega new deal but rather to sort out the detritus from his short stay on the books of Horizon Management.
It was a good time for both sides in financial terms with the signing of Nike the biggest deal any Irish sports star had ever enjoyed, and more from Bose and others to top up the off course earnings.
There was the extrication from the previous deals to negotiate and the life of a young man with a rare talent to manage in the spotlight.
Business decisions were taken and personal choices made on both sides but ultimately they fell out over what a number of decisions that will now fall to a judge to determine the value of.
Few winners
Generally when a case comes before the court there are few winners among those whose private decision making will now be laid out for all the world to see.
It’s a battle where one side will win in contractual terms, where both will likely remain financially comfortable in a way beyond where most people could ever dream and unfortunately where both will emerge in some way tarnished.
An agent such as Horizon is would always wish to be seen by future clients as someone to trust, someone who will get a great deal but remain as a smooth operator on the sidelines. Getting the job done is the main job requirement and whenever the agent comes front and centre stage it is rarely a long term winner.
On the players side Rory McIlroy has already made enough money from his prodigious ability and personality never to have to worry about money.
His drive is to win more majors and to stand tall as somebody the public will respect, admire and potentially buy stuff that he has endorsed.
Tortuous Game
Golf is a tortuous game to make it. In mechanical terms it involves striking a same size ball into a same size hole taking fewer hits than your rivals. In fact though the mechanics are either brought to a level of brilliance or made useless by what goes on in the head.
Focus is more important than swing, stance or speed and while victory in Dubai at the weekend would suggest the distraction of the courts could be a spur to McIlroy it’s likely that the public airing over the coming weeks will have a more damaging impact.
More importantly is the reputation damage he might suffer.
When reading through all the claims and counter claims of contracts, phone messages, percentages and endorsements the one story to stick out may well be the order to take back money that had been gifted to the victims of the Haiti earthquake.
McIlroy was a UNICEF ambassador and had visited Haiti in 2011.
“The spirit, not just of the kids, but the whole country, was incredible,” he said at the time.
“The whole experience was quite inspiring. It changes how you think.”
Two years later he announced a second trip but pulled out a week later citing the need for more practice ahead of the US Masters. Unicef understood and made the statement on his behalf. Horizon also donated money, supposedly to ease the potential PR backlash but it was felt, obviously in a deteriorating relationship that this was stepping over the boundary and was ordered to be withdrawn.
McIlroy is still listed as a supporter of UNICEF and has created wonderful charity initiatives through his own foundation. Unfortunately in the cold spotlight of a court case that may get lost.
The image of a millionaire who took his money back could yet emerge as a potent and damaging memory from the coming weeks.
Is it worth it? Well until the case starts, and indeed at any point until it finishes there is always room to shake hands and walk away with both sides content to let the past lie. It happens regularly in golf. There would be no harm in it happening again this morning on the steps of the court.
