Rory Knows You Shouldn't Just Chase The Dollar

Administrators of golf's elite are in a spin. As well as many pros worldwide, and the media, pundits and public who follow the sport.

The Saudi's have landed. Sportswashing their way in. Their tainted megabucks now disrupting through a rival 'world tour'.

Fifty top players have taken the black shilling. (A label heard in my youth of elders referring to monies knowingly taken from dubious, traitorous, source. Often where you've abandoned your principles and given in 'to the other side'.)

Ulsterman Rory McIlroy is not one of them. [longer form 4min clip here.]

In this week of the challenger's first tournament, his comments are used as counterweight to the revolter's launch.

He clearly thinks chasing cash for the sake of it is not what should drive you;

"Any decision you make in your life that's purely for money, usually doesn't end up going the right way".

As if to confirm this, here's the thread of the first responders to the above tweet.

The implication being, when the lad himself switched equipment (from mainly Titleist to newly arrived Nike clubs) his form dropped dramatically as a result. Indeed, surely no coincidence that within just three years of this, giant Nike got out of golf clubs completely. Leading many to scoff. Seeing this as admission of failure all-round. (Note; after a brief stint trying combos of Callaway, Titleist & TaylorMade, he since signed a decade-long deal until 2027 with TaylorMade.)

If his Nike travails - as many of the subsequent responders state - proves his own point, then it is not an isolated occurrence.

I have long blogged on the learnings of several sportstars who realise that to pursue the glory solely for the private jet alone is not the way to be successful.

Likewise, there are a legion of winning business and sales people for whom the folly of chasing the dollar for the sake of it became strikingly apparent to them due to their own accomplishment.

As an aside, how about all those buyers who make their buying decision only ever on the basis of lowest price tag wins. A disease sadly rife. And also frighteningly mistaken. In much the same style as Rory sets out. How about a slight remix, adding in the task from our course;

"Any purchase decision you make in your life that's purely for money, usually doesn't end up going the right way".

Yes, we all aim for the stars. Yet it is adherence to the process which enables us to resolve a problem, change the world in our own (often little) way, to help someone else also 'win', which truly propels achievement.

Rory knows this. Do you?