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Rory McIlroy is an American hero – even though he’s from Northern Ireland.
No one has demonstrated more class, conviction, and courage over the past few months than he has. As star golfer after star golfer has been lured by big dollars to join the LIV Golf Tour funded by Saudi Arabians, Rory didn’t take the bait.
And he didn’t base it on principle. He believes Saudi Arabians are suspect people as a nation and are known for killing people and controlling their citizens. He didn’t take the “blood money” even though he would have become crazy rich like the other guys who got selfish about themselves.
For that he’s to be praised for doing what is right, standing up against people who brutalize. For all the others who couldn’t control their own greed – we’re looking at you, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed – you shouldn’t be proud of your decisions. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
And if you had real character, you would tell the Saudi Arabians you’re backing out of your deals because you feel it’s the wrong thing to do.
You’ve proven to us all that filling your own pockets with money, when you’re already millionaires, is a higher priority to you than remaining loyal to the U.S.-based Professional Golf Association that made you rich. And more important than the types of people you’re doing business with.
I’ve heard many arguments on both sides of this issue and I have to say these guys playing on the LIV Golf Tour don’t sit right with me. Sure it’s a free world and if someone is willing to pay them more then I can see why they would be tempted. We all would.
But some things in life are more important than money. In my own career, I had the opportunity to be paid a lot more money to work for a Chinese company. After talking it over with many people – most of whom advised me the Chinese are not trustworthy people – I turned it down.
The biggest reason is I didn’t want to have to look my kids in the eyes and tell them I was helping grow a Chinese business competing against American companies. I would not have been proud to say to them that and would advise them not to take such an offer if it came along to them.
This all leads back to Rory. Today he led the British Open only to get outplayed in the final round by Cam Smith. Had Rory won, it would have been one of the year’s best stories because he’s a great player. But more importantly, because he’s proven to be a solid human being who is courageous enough to speak out on an issue much more important than golf, knowing he could lose friends and get criticized.
To me, Rory is a bigger winner than he ever has been after winning more than 20 pro tournaments. Winners do what’s right, they don’t just finish with the best score.
Earlier this week another great human being, Jack Nicklaus, was the third U.S. citizen to be named honorary citizenship in the Royal Burgh of St. Andrews in Scotland. Not only because he won the British Open at St. Andrews twice, but because of the gracious way he conducted himself.
I can see Rory one way being given such an honor for the courageous leadership he’s shown in the past few months about a matter much more important than scoring birdies and winning the British Open.
You’re a winner today, Rory, and always will be.
And it’s not just because you’re a great golfer.
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Sammy Sportface, a sports blogger, galvanizes, inspires, and amuses The Baby Boomer Brotherhood. And you can learn about his vision and join this group's Facebook page here:
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