Rory McIlroy’s loyalty to the PGA Tour has strengthed his brand

Rory McIlroy isn’t the type of individual to blame the world for his circumstances but if the Northern Irishman does currently feel sorry for himself, then the truth is that he is perfectly entitled to. 

McIlroy’s major drought worsens in Los Angeles

To begin with, McIlroy’s on-course circumstances have been brutally unforgiving after the 34-year-old once again finished runner-up in a major championship – this time at the US Open in Los Angeles during mid-June. It was McIlroy’s third top-three finish in a major in 12 months, which means that the agonizing wait for a first major since 2014 goes on. Of course, the wait might be over soon with McIlroy the outright favorite at just +750 to win The Open in July.

As touched on, there have been many close shaves with major glory over the last nine years which is why fans may feel wary of backing McIlroy at Royal Liverpool. The good news is that if you click here, you will be presented with a detailed list of how to claim free bets from various bookmakers like Betway, FanDuel, and BetMGM. Naturally, claiming one of these bets worth up to $3,000 will embolden fans to back the best golfer on the planet irrespective of his growing reputation as a ‘nearly man.’ 
 

Now, while you could spend these long summer days writing about how much the Northern Irishman has tried to finally get this monkey off his back and win another major, the condensed conclusion is this: the big moments just aren’t going McIlroy’s way.

Incredibly, this misfortune has begun to dog the 34-year-old off the course as well after the PGA Tour and LIV Golf struck an unlikely deal to collaborate in the future. Naturally, you might wonder why this affects McIlroy.

The PGA Tour lives to see another day

The answer is that the four-time major winner has been badly let down by the PGA Tour after he spent the last 18 months doing everything to keep the organization from folding, only for them to repay his loyalty by joining forces with the very rival they had asked McIlroy to save them from.

In short, McIlroy accepted the PGA Tour’s SOS to serve as the organization’s mouthpiece amid the most turbulent time in its history. It was a decision that took an immense strain on the Northern Irishman owing to how he had to front up to the world’s media to provide answers on what the future might hold.

Nevertheless, McIlroy was unfaltering in his commitment to the tour whenever asked. To that end, he has subsequently come under intense scrutiny following the PGA Tour’s stunning U-turn which was in stark contrast to the message the 34-year-old was delivering. In essence, being so outspoken against the idea of LIV Golf only to be deserted by those he was defending has made McIlroy, by his admission, look like a sacrificial lamb.

Additionally, it has given McIlroy’s LIV detractors a chance to try and prove that he was on the wrong side of history by not joining the rebel tour.

History will remember McIlroy kindly

The reality, however, couldn’t be further from the truth given that there is an enormous amount of sympathy from the global sporting world around the situation McIlroy was put in. Crucially, standing his ground and being a lone voice when it would have been easier to take the hundreds of millions of dollars on offer to him from LIV has shown McIlroy can be trusted to do the right thing.

Ultimately, McIlroy’s brand has never been more appealing to sponsors; the 34-year-old possesses a rare sense of loyalty and will keep going in the face of adversity. Crucially, it is this marketable trait that will also ensure that the Northern Irishman does win another major soon as he won’t give up trying.

It may have been a year of anguish for McIlroy but vindication remains in touching distance both on and off the course.