Rory McIlroy, just days after his potential 2014 Ryder Cup captain whined about so many European golfers ditching their homelands for the U.S., closed on the acquisition of his $9.5 million Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., mansion -- merely an ocean away from his old stomping grounds in Northern Ireland.
Colin Montgomerie won’t be happy about Rory McIlroy’s new Florida digs
Ross Kinnaird
McIlroy’s 15,285 square-foot abode, with six bedrooms, nine baths, a private gym, and a putting green -- but no tennis court for Rory’s tennis star girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki -- overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway and is a convenient one mile from Jack Nicklaus’ Bear’s Club in Jupiter, according to realtor Jeff Lichtenstein. (Exclusive photos of the two-time major champ’s new pad are available for viewing on Lichtenstein’s blog.)
McIlroy, no doubt much to Monty’s chagrin, has reportedly put his Holywood home up for sale. Montgomerie, who has emerged as a dark horse in the race for captain of the 2014 European Ryder Cup team, bemoaned the fact that the number of European golfers making their homes -- and livelihoods -- in the U.S. could damage their chances of retaining the cup in two years in Scotland.
“It’s very difficult and we have to sit down and try to address this,” Montgomerie told the Daily Mail’s Mark Garrod about the migration of European Tour golfers to the deeper pockets of the PGA Tour. “It’s important for the future of European golf.”
Ten of the 12 members of this year’s successful Ryder Cup squad will be members of the 2013 U.S. tour. McIlroy joined Lee Westwood and Graeme McDowell, among others, putting down roots in Tiger Woods’ Sunshine State, while Luke Donald seemed to prefer the chillier climes of Chicago.
In any case, Montgomerie -- sounding like a man with more than head-cheerleading chores at stake in the next Ryder Cup contest -- does not approve of his boys leaving home.
“We need to get our team to Gleneagles [Scottish site of the ’14 matches]. We have to have that advantage,” the dyed-in-the-wool Scot pleaded. “In 1997 our biggest advantage was Valderrama. The Americans had three days to prepare, we had 10 years.”
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