Rory McIlroy not to play the Players Championship in 2011
Rory McIlroy who quit the PGA Tour earlier this month made a statement about not playing the Players Championship next year. Focusing more on the European Tour in 2011; Europe’s rising star has bigger plans.
It is quite surprising that such a talented player is going to miss an event that is also called the fifth major due to its importance. The 21 year old delivered this news to the US circuit himself saying that he isn’t a big fan of the course. He said it
is due the Saw grass course that is making him doubtful about his participation.
He really emphasized on the awkwardness he experiences at Saw Grass. Being a Pete Dye course, this course creates angles. The difficulty level of this course is high with the tee boxes kind of lining the player up in the wrong directions and it’s not very
easy off the tee.
"It makes you feel uncomfortable because it looks like you've only got a little bit of fairway to hit but actually once you get up there, it's a little bit wider. It's just very demanding visually," added McIlroy about the course where the championship is
held. He said that it’s a personal choice. Where some golfers enjoy it, some don’t.
"That's not to say the 'Players' isn't a great event, it's very prestigious and it would be great to win it one day but it just might not suit my schedule next year," said Rory.
The Players Championship takes place in May, which is the same time as two big tournaments in Europe. McIlroy said that he aims to win the World Match Play Championship in Spain and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. Rory also has to play in the Quail
Hollow Championship a week before, where he is the defending champion. Since these contribute a lot to the Race to Dubai list, McIlroy is hoping to do well in them next year.
What Rory does enjoy however is the Earth layout where the Dubai World Championship will tee off tomorrow. The Earth lay out is designed by Greg Norman and according to Rory, it gives the player definition. He said it’s a good feeling when he is standing
on a tee and everything is clear in front of him.
McIlroy is number 12 on the Race to Dubai list with 1,438,704 Euros. Even though he isn’t going to play the Players Championship next year, Rory still has the potential to win other big titles in 2011.
Tags: