India and Australia bound Rory McIlroy tipped to emulate Tiger and transform golf globally says big chief

Daily Record

22-05-2025

Far-travelling Grand Slam hero has the class and charisma to explode golf around the world.
Golf chief Guy Kinnings reckons iconic Rory McIlroy offers the sport a golden opportunity to go completely global.
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The career Grand Slam champ is responsible for huge excitement across the world by committing to massive upcoming events in India and Australia.
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McIlroy has confirmed to play in the DP World India Championship, which will be held at Delhi Golf Club in October.
The Masters champion has also agreed a return Down Under for the first time in 11 years when he tees-up in the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne in December.
DP World Tour and Ryder Cup Europe CEO Kinnings was there to see Tiger Woods have a transformation effect on the global game and he believes McIlroy's golfing skills and classy character can help golf grow even bigger again.
Speaking to the Business of Sport Podcast, Kinnings said: 'I think golf's got a huge opportunity to go completely global now. I was working in the business when Tiger came along and he transformed golf. To have the global sporting icon in the world in your sport, he's done that. I think Rory's about to do the same. First European ever to have the Grand Slam and he's so articulate.
'He provided us at the Masters with one of the magic moments in sport. The moment when he finished it off, it was an unbelievable moment for golf, but for European golf, global golf, it was amazing. And it was done kind of the Rory way. Heart in mouth, but he got it done and I do think that presents the sport with a huge opportunity. I really do.
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'What you have in Rory, and that's why we're so fortunate, is you have someone who plays in a way that totally appeals to people. People can engage with it because it's human. And you can see that. And that moment when he fell to his knees, I mean, I've done this for 35 years, I had tears in my eyes. It was unbelievable.
'So what he does is he appeals on a human level. He's also very articulate. Extremely confident businessman. He is involved in the sport on lots of different levels. He speaks infinitely better than I ever could about the sport, so he's a great spokesman. He's young enough now to take the game around the world.
'He's always travelled. Tiger travelled. So when he plays in a tournament, he'll transform it. If he goes to a market that we're looking to expand in for the sport of golf, having a superstar like that going there attracts interest. Commercial, government interest, broadcast, content. All the ways that we can grow the sport because golf has to shake off some preconceptions and I think it's doing that right now.
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'At the moment, all the figures are showing people are coming to the game. We kind of came out of a tough time with COVID and people have found they were drawn to golf because it's the most naturally socially distant sport there is.
'The sport came out stronger and we refined what we did. And we made a good product, but now he's able to take it, I think, to an all-new level because you had only the sixth guy ever to have the Grand Slam, which is an extraordinary achievement to win all of the four majors. The first European to do that. I think it gives him a platform to take the game, and when he goes, he will also understand his responsibility. and speak in a way that will help elevate the sport in that region. We're very lucky.
'I mean, Rory is an unbelievable supporter of our tour. We have rules, you have to play a minimum number. He plays way more than that and, when he comes to a tournament, he adds extraordinary focus and glamour. 'I've seen the game go through what has been a couple of eras. We may be going into a new one.
'So we originally had the big three. My boss at IMG Mark McCormack signed the sort of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player. And that was amazing. That brought golf to the global attention. We then had the Woods era. In Europe, we had a big five of Europeans, but Tiger transformed the game.
'He was almost perfect in every way for what we needed in golf because he took the game, not just geographically, he took it globally, he took it to new demographics and he also played in a way that was unbelievably exciting. You always look at what makes a sport really, really appealing. It's either fierce, incredibly close rivalries, or it is one single, utterly dominant player. And Tiger was that single, utterly dominant player. I'd sit there watching what he did and the effect he had and he transformed, commercially, for broadcasters, everything.
'There was an interest in the game that we'd never had before. He transformed the sport. He really did. And he still has a huge influence. He's playing an important role for the future of the game, as Rory will have an incredibly important role. So we are really lucky."