Present at the beginning of the afternoon in Dubai at a press conference, Rory McIlroy was questioned about the episode the day before during which he refused to greet Patrick Reed. He also spoke about the possible selection of Sergio Garcia in the Ryder Cup.
In the war between the pro-PGA Tour to the rebels of LIFE Golf, Rory McIlroy has for a long time made the choice to defend the interests of historic circuits, arguing as Tiger Woods that he values heritage and values much more than money.
Through his positions and his position as Chairman of the PAC (Player Advisory Council) of the PGA Tour, the Northern Irishman has become in a few months one of the players whose word weighs the most on the golf planet.
very attached to DP World Tour of which he finished for the 4th time at the top of the classification last yearthe world number 1 has chosen to make its comeback in Dubai this week in the 2nd Rolex Series of the season. And shortly before his practice game on Tuesday, he was approached by the sulphurous Patrick Reed who tried to talk to him but whom Rory knowingly ignored.
the video of the famous incident between Reed and McIlroy!????pic.twitter.com/6wuzRGS3lc
— Golf Planet (@GolfPlanete) January 25, 2023
When asked the question, the four-time Major winner first explained that he had not seen Reed and then admitted that having received a subpoena on Christmas Eve sent by American supremacist lawyer Larry Klayman who wishes to have him testify in the lawsuit that Reed is bringing against the PGA Tour, was not likely to ease the tensions.
He can’t act like nothing happened. I received this summons on Christmas Eve. We are in reality here.
Angry to death with Sergio Garcia?
A few minutes later, Rory was asked to speak on the declaration of Keith Pelley who put Spaniard Sergio Garcia back in the Ryder Cup qualification game explaining that because of his status as an honorary member of the DP World Tour, he was selectable for the edition in Rome next September.
(Which, by the way, seems very surprising since at the same time the European Tour Group is engaged in a legal battle to exclude LIV players from its tournaments. )
Garcia, who did not meet the criteria to be possibly selected at the end of last yearhad also attacked the players of the DP World Tour in the locker room of the BMW International Open with a diatribe that had shocked Robert MacIntyre.
This episode, which followed his choice to join the circuit financed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), had put an end to the relationship of friendship he had with Rory McIlroy.
The lively and heated exchanges by text message between the two men have definitely distanced them.
So when a journalist asked him if he was ready to renew contact with Garcia in the event of a possible selection in Ryder Cup from the Spaniard, Rory replied with a laconic “No” which says a lot!
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