Rory McIlroy: Will the Asian junket help heal the distressed golfer?

Amidst the growing storm around a relationship that is reportedly heading towards a split, Rory McIlroy is packing his bags for a tour of Asia. Speculation is rife as the internet is buzzing with unconfirmed rumours of a split between Caroline Wozniacki and McIlroy. Even as the storm gathers strength on Twitter and elsewhere, the Irishman has set out on a sojourn to Korea and China that is expected to net him nearly $4.8mn. The important question though is if the besieged golfer can find a semblance of form to help restore his pride and confidence, at the end of a tormented season.

In an eventful year during which McIlroy changed both his clubs and management company, not much has turned out right. A solitary top ten finish in the majors this year barely does any justice to the talent of the Irishman, who only last year was riding the crest. McIlroy was the toast of the golfing world when he won the PGA Championship in 2012, his second major title the helped him become the top golfer in the world.

The wave helped seal a $100mn deal with Nike, which entailed a change of clubs and even more media attention. Soon after the record breaking deal though, McIlroy’s differences with Horizon Sports Management spilt into the open seas. While the Irishman decided to let his father run his affairs through McIlroy Incorporated, there was still the unresolved matter of fees collected by his erstwhile managers.

It was among the first of many tasks on the table of Gerry McIlroy, the man in charge of his son’s business. The case is due for hearing in Dublin on Monday next week, right under the glare of the Irish media. The bone of contention is a $7.5mn fee collected by HSM for managing his affairs over an 18 month period. McIlroy contends that he has been unfairly treated and charged. The management company believes that they are well within their rights to collect the fee for facilitating the lucrative deals.

This is a season that McIlroy might like to forget in a hurry. The infamous walkout from the Honda Classic, which was attributed unconvincingly to a painful tooth hurt his reputation. The missed cuts have robbed him the radiance that surrounded his life. Incredible as it may seem, McIlroy has missed the cut at each of three European events he entered this year – HSBC Golf Championship in January, the BMW PGA Championship in May and The Irish Open in June.

McIlroy also had meager returns from his efforts at the majors this year – he was 25^th at the Masters followed by a 41^st place finish at the US Open. It got worse before things turned for the better, when he missed the cut at the Open Championship. He gained some consolation from a top ten finish (8^th) at the PGA Championship, but is still searching for his first victory after playing 16 events.

Meanwhile, Wozniacki helped wagging tongues gain some wind when she fuelled rumours of a split by posting an unflattering picture of her beau lying knocked out on a couch. The Irish Independent set off a frenzy of reaction when they published this story on Sunday. While McIlroy has been tight lipped about the state of his relationship, Ekstra Bladet, a Danish paper is reported to have a published a denial by Wozniacki.

In translated comments, she was reported to have said, “I’m so tired of the rumors. They occur every time Rory and I are apart a few days or do not write on Twitter. There is nothing in it, and from now on I just think that I will keep my private life private. It is so annoying that the media and the so-called sources constantly spread the rumors. They write just what they want.” In there is a lesson for stars who court attention first and curl up when they get it. Wozniacki invited this upon herself by sharing this journey in a rather public manner thus far.

If it is true, it shall mark a sad ending to a relationship that seemed perfect in many ways between two equally enthusiastic young people. While it worked, both stars did their best to keep the relationship beautiful despite the distance and their disparate travel schedules. Wozniacki was even reported to have told people close to her that McIlroy was indeed the man of her dreams. After the dust has settled though, the two budding stars might even consider breaking apart as the better thing for the sake of their careers.

In fact, the experienced Gary Player has long advised McIlroy that he should focus on his game and not be drowned in the difficult seas of women and wealth. But these are the very issues at the centre of his existence at this point in time. It will indeed be interesting to see if the Irishman can put them behind and return to his best. If he can manage a good result in Seoul and Shanghai in the weeks ahead, that will go a long way in assuaging some of the concerns that haunt him currently.

Meanwhile, HSM has complicated matters by filing a counter claim against the golfer in response to the suit filed by McIlroy. At 24, the Irishman has plenty on his plate, but he’d rather deal with it in a dignified manner rather than shying away and compounding his misery. A good place to start might be to interact with the hungry media, provide them an honest assessment of the situation concerning both the case in Dublin and his personal life.

That will help clear the distractions for McIlroy and enable the golfer to concentrate his energies on working his way back from the sandy quagmire that is threatening to nip a promising career in its bud.