Rory McIlroy aims to score hole-in-one with personal brand
Rory McIlroy sat down with FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo and talked about the big business of golf, as well as how he's developed his personal brand as a professional golfer.
Even though the Northern Irishman admits he comes from a part of the world where they have a lot of public golf courses, he said he finds golf to be just as accessible as any other sport.
"I think it's a bigger business," McIlroy said. "People realize the technology, you know, everything that goes on around the game, everything just becomes a little bit bigger, I think, with social media, with the exposure that it brings to sports, more people want to be involved with it."
With all those endorsement opportunities, McIlroy clarified how he has formed his own personal branding.
"When I think of my brand, I obviously want to be as authentic to myself as possible," he said. "I don't want to create this brand that isn't really me. We've seen that done in the past when people have tried to put forward this image that isn't really quite them. I want to be me."
I obviously want to be as authentic to myself as possible.
McIlroy said golf excites him because he finds it rather doable for non-professionals.
"It's so different because you look at some of the other major sports in this country, football, basketball, baseball -- I feel like golf is the only sport where just as many people play golf as do watch it," McIlroy said. "Not a lot of people play football. They love watching it on Sundays, but they don't play it, so I think we have a wonderful opportunity. The people who watch our game also play. They're interested in how we do things. They're interested in how they can improve their own game."
Golf is the only sport where just as many people play golf as do watch it
McIlroy spoke about how fortunate he feels to play with Tiger Woods in tournaments. He admitted Woods was a hero of his growing up.
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"He's been awesome with me," McIlroy said. "I have a great relationship with him. I was so happy to see what he did earlier in the year at Augusta. I don't think people truly realize what he's had to go through to get back to this stage. I think everyone involved with golf realizes, if we look at this as a business, Tiger Woods is massive for our game."
Everyone involved with golf realizes, if we look at this as a business, Tiger Woods is massive for our game.
McIlroy is looking forward to seeing what happens next for the game of golf.