Rory McIlroy Taking Break From Golf For Legal Battle

By Cameron La Fontaine | Oct 21, 2014

USA TODAY Sports /

Rory McIlroy, the No. 1 golfer in the world, will take short hiatus from golf to focus on fighting a legal battle between himself and his former sports management company, Horizon Sports Management.

Rory McIlroy is the No. 1 golfer in the world, but he announced Monday that he will be taking a short break from the game of golf in order to focus on an ongoing legal battle between him and his former sports management company, Horizon Sports Management. Rory McIlroy will be skipping two huge tournaments including the BMW Masters and the WGC-HSBC Champions to prepare for the upcoming trial.

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Rory McIlroy filed a suit against the Horizon Sports Management firm in 2013. According to the Irish Independent: “McIlroy claims a representation agreement signed by him in December 2011 is invalid and unenforceable on grounds including alleged undue influence. The agreement, he alleges, was signed when he was aged just 22, inexperienced and without the benefit of independent legal advice.”

Rory McIlroy made the announcement Monday that he’ll need to take time off in order to fight this battle in court due to the fact that the mediation process had failed.

“I’m going to need time away from tournament golf to prepare for the trial over my legal dispute with Horizon Sports Management,” Rory McIlroy told the Irish Independent. “The court-directed mediation process failed over the weekend to resolve the issue.”

Fellow Northern Irishman golfer Graeme McDowell previously represented by Horizon himself and Rory McIlroy claimed in the suit that McDowell had received preferential treatment while they were both under contract. McDowell announced recently that he plans to leave Horizon Sports Management, and the two have claimed that the suit has not damaged their friendship.

While the two events that Rory McIlroy is expected to miss aren’t PGA Tour majors, they’re huge tournaments on the European Tour that Rory McIlroy also dominated along with the PGA Tour in the 2013-2014 season.

Rory McIlroy soared to No. 1 in the world after winning three straight tournaments in the summer of 2014 including two PGA Tour majors and one World Golf Championship (British Open, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, PGA Championship). McIlroy’s magic didn’t continue into the FedEx Cup Playoffs where he fell to Billy Horschel, but it was a huge year for his young career and he’ll look to continue that in the upcoming season once his legal matter is settled.

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