Rory McIlroy defends his decision of not playing in the HSBC Champions
The world number one Rory McIlroy has admitted that the criticism on him for not playing in the World Golf Championships – HSBC Champions was fair.
The Northern Irishman skipped the last of the four WGCs of the season, as he decided to watch his girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki play in the Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions.
Talking to the reporters in Singapore, while preparing himself for the Barclays Singapore Open, he stated that it was essential for him to support his girlfriend in the tennis event.
In the meantime, he also believes that his fans were also right in criticising him for skipping one of the elite tournaments in the world of golf.
"I think the criticism is fair... it's a World Golf Championship event, one of the big ones. It was a tough one to miss, especially watching it on television," McIlroy told reporters on Wednesday.
However, he defended his decision by saying that he had to skip the event, as he cannot play each and every tournament on the schedule.
Moreover, he also criticized the layout of the Mission Hills Golf Club, the venue course for the HSBC Champions.
He told that he did not like the course when he participated in an event two years ago, that was held at the same venue. That was another reason behind his decision to skip the only WGC held on the Asian soil.
He also praised the tournament officials’ decision of staging the 2013 edition of the event at its original venue, the Sheshan Golf Club.
Since rising to the top of the Official World Golf Rankings, McIlroy believes that he needs to bring a right balance between the tournaments, media commitments and the time he spends with his family and friends.
According to him, people now expect more from him and he should learn the right way to say ‘no’, as he cannot fulfill everyone’s expectations.
He is in a position where he can decide and choose what suits him best. He can play the events that he likes and leave the ones he does not.
Despite the fact that he was highly criticised on his decision of not participating in the HSBC Champions, he still has a huge fan following.
Therefore, he will have to become selfish at times, in order to enjoy his life and career to the best.
"You have to be selfish sometimes. First and foremost, you have to look after yourself and fit in the things that you want to do," he said.
"I am in a fortunate position that I can dictate where I want to play, what I want to do and where I want to go and as long as I am in that position then that's lovely".
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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