Rory McIlroy Will Miss BMW Masters and HSBC Champions Due to Lawsuit
21 October 2014
World No. 1 McIlroy will miss the BMW Masters and WGC-HSBC Champions tournaments due to ongoing litigation in his lawsuit against Horizon Sports Management Ltd, his former management company.
McIlroy announced his withdrawal from both tournaments in a statement released Monday.
"I'm going to need time away from tournament golf to prepare for the trial over my legal dispute with Horizon Sports Management," McIlroy said. "The court-directed mediation process failed over the weekend to resolve the issue."
McIlroy has sued three companies in total—Horizon Sports Management, Gurteen Ltd and Canovan Management Services—over management contracts signed in 2011. According to Mary Carolan of the Irish Times McIlroy claims his deals were signed on grounds of "alleged undue influence." McIlroy left the company in 2013 but is suing for wages allegedly lost.
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Court-ordered mediation talks broke down earlier this week, forcing the case to trial. A tentative February date has been set, which could force McIlroy to miss more than the two mentioned events.
The BMW Masters is a European Tour event held in Shanghai, China, which holds a purse of more than $5 million. McIlroy won the event in 2011. The HSBC Champions tournament is also held in Shanghai as part of a partnership between the PGA Tour and European Tour. It is part of the World Golf Championships.
McIroy, 25, has made only scant appearances since winning the final two majors of the 2014 season. He was part of the Ryder Cup-winning European team and finished third behind Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson in last week's PGA Grand Slam of Golf. James Corrigan of The Telegraph
theorized that McIlroy's trial may affect up to three more scheduled appearances, including trips to Abu Dhabi and the PGA's Honda Classic.
While it's highly unlikely that the trial would last until April's Masters Tournament, it may affect McIlroy's form as he goes for the career Grand Slam. McIlroy had his best finish at Augusta National this year when he tied for eighth.