Former International Sports Management stablemates Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood will be grouped together in the first round of the 30-man Shanghai Masters. Tournament organizers announced the pair will be grouped with Zhang Lian-wei of China for Thursday play.
McIlroy announced last week his decision to leave ISM and Chubby Chandler, his agent of four years, for Dublin-based Horizon Sports Management. The U.S. Open champion has not commented publicly on the move, though Westwood did call it a “bizarre decision” on Twitter. Chandler has given several interviews since McIlroy’s departure, questioning the decision and insinuating McIlroy’s girlfriend, tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, influenced his move.
“I don’t know whether it was his girlfriend (Wozniacki) getting in his ear or someone else but I thought we were doing a pretty good job, to be honest, and I think that’s how the outside world saw it,” Chandler said last week.
The 30-man field is competing for a $2 million first-place prize – the richest in the game – and includes Masters winner Charl Schwartzel and PGA champion Keegan Bradley.