Rory McIlroy was left to rue horrific purchase | Golf News

Rory McIlroy, who sits second in all-time profession earnings behind Tiger Woods, still remembers his first major splurge after receiving his initial PGA Tour paycheck. This comes as he is pushing the Tour to implement a vital format overhaul.

Boasting an estimated internet value of $250 million and having raked in a staggering $107,145,766 on the golf course throughout his profession, McIlroy is aware of what it means to win big. He grew to become the sixth golfer to obtain the Grand Slam after securing victory at the Masters earlier this 12 months.

Yet his inaugural PGA Tour triumph got here just two days shy of his twenty first birthday at the 2010 Quail Hollow Championship. That breakthrough victory netted him $1.17 million, marking the same 12 months he joined the PGA Tour.

As he prepares for the BMW Championship this week, McIlroy admitted to making a “horrific” purchase with his first paycheck and believes Keegan Bradley may be on the verge of a large blunder.

When questioned about his first major purchase after becoming a member of the PGA Tour, McIlroy remembered forking out on a watch. With diamonds around it. It was horrific. I can not imagine it was just like the worst purchase ever. It was so dangerous,” he confessed.

Despite this early blunder, McIlroy continues to be a watch enthusiast with a remarkable collection. Nevertheless, he still regrets that diamond-studded timepiece he purchased back in 2010.

When pressed about the brand and model of the watch, McIlroy replied: “I do. It’s not the make and model that I’m sponsored by now, so I’m not going to say it.”

Omega has supported McIlroy since 2013, and exclusive timepieces created by the company appear in his personal collection. McIlroy acts as a brand ambassador for Omega, although he has also been seen wearing Audemars Piguet watches.

While McIlroy voiced disappointment about purchasing the enigmatic timepiece, he also used his press conference at Caves Valley Golf Club to discuss the Ryder Cup. The competition will occur at Bethpage Black Course in New York from Sept 23-28, and McIlroy has already started engaging in mental gamesmanship.

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McIlroy confirmed that he’s been approached to act as a playing captain for Team Europe, but has turned down the concept each time it’s been suggested. McIlroy then contended it wasn’t realistic due to the expanded obligations and media commitments.

Keegan Bradley will captain Team U.S. and could become the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963. With less than six weeks left until the 2025 Ryder Cup, McIlroy indicated that Bradley’s role would be overpowering if he accepts the double duty.

“I do not suppose you are able to do it,” McIlroy said. “I just suppose the commitments that a captain has the week of — you suppose about the additional media that a captain has to do, you suppose about the additional conferences that the captains have to do with the vice captains, with the PGA of America.

“In Keegan’s case, preparing your speech for the opening ceremony — just there’s a lot of things that people don’t see that the captain does the week of the Ryder Cup, especially now that the Ryder Cup has become so big.

“If you’d have said it 20 years in the past, I’d say, yeah, it was in all probability potential to do, but how big of a spectacle and all the pieces that’s on the road in a Ryder Cup now, I just suppose it could be a very troublesome place to be in. So I just suppose for those causes.