Rory McIlroy has revealed his issues with wearing the Masters green jacket and addressed when he could walk away from golf
Rory McIlroy has revealed just how much claiming the Masters title means to him with some tongue-in-cheek instructions for his wife Erica Stoll. Following more than 10 years of waiting and several close calls, the Northern Irish star finally secured the coveted green jacket in April, completing golf’s grand slam of major titles.
True to form, McIlroy achieved it in spectacular fashion with a dramatic final round followed by a nail-biting play-off triumph over Justin Rose. The now five-time major winner was overcome with emotion after holing the decisive putt before slipping on sport’s most iconic jacket.
His remarkable year continued as he contributed significantly to Europe’s Ryder Cup victory on American soil before securing a seventh Race to Dubai crown…
‘Punch me’
While the green jacket holds pride of place in his wardrobe, McIlroy has confessed he doesn’t always fancy wearing it, particularly in hotter conditions. This has led him to jokingly instruct Erica to hit him if he ever moans about it.
During an appearance at CNBC’s CEO Council Forum, he said: “You take the green jacket with you [around the world]. Sometimes, though, you don’t want to wear it.
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“Like you do want to, but I sought of complained about wearing it in Abu Dhabi. I said to my wife, ‘If you ever hear me complain about wearing this thing again, like punch me or something.’”
After the audience laughed, a grinning McIlroy added: “I waited my whole life to wear this and I’m complaining about wearing it! But yeah, it’s amazing the fact that you can show it to people.
“I think it is the first green jacket ever to be in India. So just doing little things like that it’s very, very cool little perk.”
Retirement plans
McIlroy has hinted he could hang up his clubs in the next decade, after disclosing plans to scale back his schedule. The 36-year-old has played in 22 tournaments this year, a schedule he acknowledges he can’t keep up while juggling his professional aspirations with family commitments.
He said: “I can be a really good golfer for the next five to 10 years, but I’m still going to have half my life to live after that.
“Look, I’m not getting any younger. If I want to play competitively for another 10 years, like Justin Rose has, for example, I have to remember that I’m not 23 anymore and I can’t play that schedule forever.”
He added: “There are times when I yearn for a little anonymity and a quieter life. That will happen one day.
“This is my time in the sun. In 10 years, it won’t be, and that is my time to enjoy that part of it. I’d like to walk away with a little bit left in the tank. I don’t want to be out there embarrassing myself.”
Safety net introduced
In a fresh development, former full PGA Tour card holders are set to benefit from a financial safety net starting next year. The number of tour card holders will be cut from 125 to 100, with those ranked in between receiving conditional tour cards, allowing them to compete in around 20 events.
Meanwhile, a new scheme will enable players ranked 126th or lower in the previous season’s FedEx Cup points list to benefit from the new Member Support Program. This means any player who competes in 12 events across the PGA Tour and the feeder Korn Ferry Tour will secure a base salary of around £113,000 for the year.
