Former world number one Rory McIlroy confirmed on Friday he has left Horizon Sports Management to create his own management company.
McIlroy,, who won won the Hong Kong Open in 2011, denied speculation in May he was going to go it alone only for Ryder Cup partner Graeme McDowell to say a few days later the two-time major-winner had in fact decided on his second management change since October 2011.
The 24-year-old Northern Irishman left the International Sports Management (ISM) group run by well-known golf agent Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler just four months after winning his first major championship, the US Open and joined McDowell at Horizon.
But a statement on McIlroy’s own website confirmed the split, saying: “Rory McIlroy today [Friday] confirmed he has terminated his contract with Horizon Sports Management and that the details of the termination are in the hands of a legal team....in Dublin, Ireland.
“The golfer’s business interests will from now on be managed by Rory McIlroy Incorporated. chief executive of RMI will be Donal Casey, an actuary by profession with many years of chief executive experience.
“The Rory Foundation for charity will be run by Barry Funston, a business leader and longtime friend of the McIlroy family. Both men will serve on the RMI Board, together with Gerry McIlroy [Rory’s father].”
Towards the end of last year, McIlroy changed clubs and joined up with US sports goods giant Nike in a multi-million pounds deal much criticised by British golf great Nick Faldo who said the deal, however lucrative, risked damaging the players’ results on the course.