MOST SPLITS ARE amicable initially, at least on the surface.
However, less than 24 hours after confirming Rory McIlroy’s departure from his International Sports Management (ISM) company, reknown agent Chubby Chandler has revealed that he was “shocked” by the 22-year-old’s decision to seek new pastures.
Chandler wished the US Open champion every success in a statement released on Friday. But, speaking to the Daily Mail, some of the details behind the move have now started to emerge.
“I don’t know whether it was his girlfriend getting in his ear or someone else but I thought we were doing a pretty good job to be honest, and I think that’s how the outside world saw it,” Chandler said.
McIlroy met with his manager and expressed concern at several issues – including his brand and sponsorship list – six weeks ago, but Chandler maintained he still had no idea of what would eventually come.
“I was shocked. I had no inkling, really.
“There are financial implications, even if we’ve never done anything from a financial viewpoint. But we’ll come back from it as a company. We’ll just have to settle for finishing the year with two major champions.”
The Holywood golfer split with long-time girlfriend earlier this year and is now dating tennis player Caroline Wozniacki. He has also spoken about house hunting in Florida in recent months despite previously committing to the European Tour for the foreseeable future.
“Life goes on and while there’s hurt, I certainly don’t bear any bitterness towards Rory,” Chandler concluded.
Graeme McDowell and Michael Hoey are already with McIlroy’s new management company, Horizon, but the latter said the news was “a real shock” after coming in off the course at the Castellon Masters on Friday.
ISM has also seen Paul McGinley and Ernie Els go elsewhere in the last year but one man apparently staying put is Lee Westwood, who made his thoughts known on Twitter.
