Rory McIlroy saved $20,000 by apologizing for chucking his club in a lake

Rory McIlroy may be on the receiving end of another fine from Tim Finchem and his minions after the formerly top-ranked golfer revealed that, not only does the PGA Tour indeed sanction players for conduct unbecoming, but will trim the out-of-pocket expense if the offender appears contrite enough.

Unlike the European Tour — which in the near future may lose its No. 1 attraction (more on that later) — the Florida-based PGA Tour will barely acknowledge that it disciplines players for their behavior let alone by how much it thins their wallets. McIlroy offered the golf world a glimpse into what at least one specific indiscretion costs an offender when he said that his fine for tossing his 3-iron into a lake at Doral in March was cut dramatically after he apologized for his actions.

“The fine was reduced from $25,000 to $5,000 because I said I was sorry on the TV interview afterwards,” McIlroy, whose admission of error after quitting the 2013 Honda Classic was widely applauded, said on Monday, according to multiple accounts.

Chump change to the four-time major champion, who acknowledged recently that money just doesn’t mean that much to him since he became one of professional golf’s many multi-millionaires.

Nor, apparently, does a superficial dent in his bank account since McIlroy has perfected his club- and ball-flinging form through the years (both before and after the incident at Doral):

McIlroy also revealed that, after sponsor Santander analyzed his spending habits and revealed how much time he spends jet-setting, that he would likely quit the European Tour at some point if he is to achieve a healthy balance between work and life.

“The travel — wow!” he told James Corrigan. “I’m in an airplane for more than a fortnight a year; have been in 118 different airports in 12 months. I’ve spent 287 nights in a hotel. What does that leave? Less than 80 nights in my own bed, whether it’s the one in Northern Ireland or Florida. I guess at the minute, I don’t really have a home.

“I’m not moaning, because I know how lucky I am,” McIlroy added. “And you don’t notice it when you’re doing it. But then when you’re shown it in black and white, you take a step back and think ‘blimey.’ I can definitely see a time in the not-so-distant future when those numbers will reduce.

“They’ll have to, if I’m going to have a family and a home life and all that,” he said. “But that’s what being a global player and playing two tours entails.”

In noting that Englishman Paul Casey was contemplating dropping the Euro Tour in favor of the PGA, McIlroy offered his support.

“It’s a dilemma a lot of the guys are dealing with. A few years down the line, if I had a family in the States, I’d have to strongly consider it, too,” he said. “To be honest, there have been times when I have contemplated not playing on the European Tour, already.”