Rory McIlroy to take over Roger Federer, David Beckham and Lennox Lewis as richest sportsman
His stunning victory at the US Open at Congressional Country Club last week has catapulted the young Rory McIlroy to the top of celebrity list, both within and outside of the United Kingdom.
The 22-year-old has taken a break from the hectic schedule of tourneys around the world and has decided for the moment, to deluge himself with the returns of his labour. McIlroy has withdrawn not only from the French Open next week, but has announced he
will not be playing golf till the third major of the season, the Open Championship.
McIlroy is currently in contract with the Dubai based Al-Jumeirah and endorses the brand on both his apparel as well as on his bag. Jumeirah has also benefitted immensely with the young Irishman’s victory so early in his career. The critics, however, are
of the opinion that McIlory is headed for the highest earnings ever in his career ahead.
Nigel Currie, director of sports marketing agency Brand Rapport, said:
“He has the potential to do what Roger Federer, Michael Schumacher and Tiger Woods have done. Golf, motor racing, boxing and tennis are the big-earning sports. If he was to dominate golf, like he could do, for a number of years, he could get up towards the
one billion-dollar mark. Lennox Lewis and David Beckham are the highest-earning sports stars from the UK so far, but McIlroy could easily pass them.”
McIlroy took over the top golfers from around the world and went gate crashing to lift the first major of his career. He won the title with one of the biggest leads of the event’s history. The 22-year-old also became the youngest player to win the title
after Bobby Jones’ stellar achievement some 88 years ago. The Irishman broke the all-time lowest record of 36 holes to lift the title.
McIlroy generated annual earnings of 5.3-million pounds, last year in terms of sponsorships and endorsements as well as the earnings from his victories. Many of the sport's big commercial groups reckon that McIlroy will be heading for the $1-billion mark,
becoming the first sportsman ever to do it. Tiger Woods is said to have touched the mark at the peak of his career but never officially accepted to have reached it.
Tags: