Rory McIlroy’s bank account, JT’s potential short reign at the top, and a ridiculous US Open blooper. It’s the latest edition of The Slam
Hello. Welcome to this week’s edition of The Slam. So how much money does Rory McIlroy have?
Despite not winning any tournaments last year, McIlroy still earned £28 million to take his total wealth to £120 million and make him Britain’s richest sports star under 30.
McIlroy married American publicist Erica Stoll last year in front of celebrity guests including Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Ed Sheeran, former One Direction boybander Niall Horan, and 50 Shades of Grey actor Jamie Dornan – all of whom McIlroy is wealthier than.
So where is all this incredible wealth coming from?
Well, he’s rather bloody good at golf?
Oh, and there’s just the small matter of his Nike clothing and TaylorMade equipment deals, which will earn the Northern Irishman around £150 million in the next decade.
Still, I am taller than him, so… call it a draw, Rory?
BFF battle
Justin Thomas took over as World No. 1 from Dustin Johnson last week – but it might be a short-lived stay courtesy of his best mate Jordan Spieth.
It won’t be easy, but Spieth could head to the US Open in top spot if – and it’s a big if – he can win the Byron Nelson this week then finish solo-2nd at Colonial next week.
Or, he can finish in a two-way tied-5th or better this week at then win next week.
NO.1 WATCH:
These are the PROJECTED scenarios that could allow @JordanSpieth to 'steal' #1 #OWGR from @JustinThomas34 in the next 2 weeks.
1. Jordan wins Byron Nelson and finishes solo 2nd at Colonial
2. Jordan wins Colonial and finishes 2-way T5 or better at Byron Nelson
— Nosferatu (@VC606) May 16, 2018
Honestly feel like my brain is about to explode.
For any other player, you’d scoff at the idea. But this is Spieth. In his hometown one week then a couple of hours up the road the next for a tournament where his record reads 2nd, 1st, 2nd.
And who can forget what happened after that 2nd at Colonial last year? If you need a refresher, he won back-to-back at the Travelers and Open Championship.
So, JT, don’t get too comfortable.
Tossed away
Cristian DiMarco, son of four-time PGA Tour champion Chris DiMarco, had a nightmare last week during a US Open regional qualifier.
After carding a 72, he went home thinking it was not going to be anywhere near good enough – only to find out much later it was good enough to get him into a two-man play-off.
But incredibly, his would-be opponent had done exactly the same thing.
So they settled it in exactly the way you would expect: A coin toss.
Imagine losing out on a place playing in one of sport’s biggest tournaments on a coin toss.
Or should all sporting occasions be decided this way? Two-sets all in the Wimbledon final? Get them playing Rock, Paper, Scissors. Or if England manager Gareth Southgate couldn’t choose between two players for his World Cup squad, so got them in his office playing a game of Pro Evo for the spot.
It’s absurd – but I genuinely don’t know what they could have done. If you have any wonderful suggestions, however serious, I would love to hear from you.
A fond farewell to Ford
And finally very sad news coming out of the US – Doug Ford has died at the age of 95.
Doug Ford, 19-time PGA TOUR winner and World Golf Hall of Fame member who helped form the PGA TOUR, has passed away at age 95.https://t.co/41L6wJymks
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 15, 2018
Up until his death, Ford was the oldest surviving major champion, having won the PGA Championship in 1955 and The Masters two years later.
And it’s the first of these wins that produces a story I just love.
Speaking to Golf Digest in 2010, Ford revealed how in the final – it was a matchplay tournament back then, remember – against Cary Middlecoff, Ford’s then 10-year-old son would carry a chair around for his father to sit in because Middlecoff was, in Ford’s words, “as slow a player as ever walked the earth”.
Doug Ford is my new favorite old golfer. May have invented #TourSauce. https://t.co/MJwRGhKrDG pic.twitter.com/y8GxjjbFKT
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) May 16, 2018
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Alex Perry
