RORY McILROY’S decision to leave International Sports Management left company founder Chubby Chandler in “shock”, the charismatic sports agent and player manager has admitted.

RORY MCILROY says his shock split from manager Andrew “Chubby” Chandler was “a very difficult decision to make”.

Rory McIlroy says he remains “very close” to the man he dropped as his manager last month and insists there was “nothing personal at all” in the move that stunned golf.

THERE was no poaching by Horizon and no enticement on my part.

DUBLIN-based sports management company Horizon, headed by Galway man Conor Ridge, pulled off its biggest coup yesterday with the news that US Open champion and world No 3 Rory McIlroy will become their latest acquisition after leaving Andrew “Chubby” Chandler’s International Sports Management (ISM) company.

Rory McIlroy has announced that he has joined Horizon Sports Management.

GOLF guru Andrew “Chubby” Chandler wants to aim higher with Hoof It after the four-year-old attempts to defy the welter burden of 10st in the Blue Square Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood.

IF success is contagious, Chris Wood could be set to catch some given the company he keeps.

A TEXT from Tiger Woods, a boot up the backside from Rory McIlroy and some sage counselling from Dr Bob Rotella.

FOR Don Draper, advertising is based on one thing: happiness.

RORY McILROY needs to play more to learn the art of winning, his manager Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler said, in the wake of the 21-year-old’s Masters heartbreak.

LEE WESTWOOD’S feet are firmly on the ground heading into his 12th Masters tomorrow.

Rory McIlroy today admitted that his latest stint in America took its toll on him and he needed to get back to Europe.

TWO and a half years ago Conor Ridge was managing a group of promising young Irish golfers and wondering if and when he was going to break into the space filled by the massive International Management Group (IMG) or the International Sports Management Group (ISM).

TWO years after crashing out of the British Open at Royal Birkdale with rounds of 80 and 89 John Daly lit up St Andrews yesterday with more than just his trousers.

FAR be it from me to take issue with Pádraig Harrington, one of the best intentioned people I know, but I am fully in favour of Shane Lowry’s decision to turn professional rather than wait until after the Walker Cup next September.

IT’S been revealed Frenchman Jean Francois Lucquin celebrated last week’s Omega Masters European Tour maiden Tour success with champagne intended for Rory McIlroy.

A TELEPHONE call at the end of last year from Graeme McDowell, at the time a promising if slightly under achieving professional, to Conor Ridge, managing director of Horizon Sports Management, drastically changed both men’s golfing world.

Irish teenager Rory McIlroy will make his professional debut in the company of 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie at The Belfry on Thursday.

DARREN CLARKE began his preparation for the Open Championship three weeks ago when he played a round over the Hoylake links with his manager and former European Tour professional Andrew “Chubby” Chandler.

Darren Clarke, so gloomy on the eve of the Quinn British Masters that he nearly quit and headed home from The Belfry, turned it around in stunning fashion today to lead the event.

IT has to happen sometime. That’s invariably the answer any time you query whether an Irishman will ever again capture his native Open Championship.

GRAEME McDOWELL’S ambition of getting into the world’s top 50 before the end of the season is edging ever closer.

IRELAND boasts four players in the top 20 in the European order of merit, two of whom are in the leading 15 in the world.

YOU would think a 63-year-old man with lots of money and 59 tournaments to his credit would have had enough of lugging four-stone golf bags around the golfing fairways of the world.

Europe’s last winner of a major golf title is in crisis a week before the US Open, wondering whether the trip to New York is even worth making.

Darren Clarke has survived a pre-Christmas visit to Lapland and a post-Christmas accident on a new toy going into this week’s Mercedes Championship in Hawaii, the first tournament on the 2004 US Tour schedule. And, having set himself a target of improving his world ranking from 11th to 5th before the end of the year, he needs to get cracking!

DARREN CLARKE has survived a pre-Christmas visit to Lapland and a post-Christmas accident on a new toy going into this week’s Mercedes Championship in Hawaii, the first tournament on the 2004 US Tour schedule.

DARREN CLARKE has vowed to get fitter as he bids to improve on recent disappointments.

DONEGAL will be playing host to the King of the Twist and the Heavyweight Champion of Rock this summer.

REMEMBER the late James Hunt, the former Formula One motor racing champion?

IF a happy home is a key to success, watch out this week for the golfing trio of Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood and Paul McGinley as they battle for the 84th US PGA Championship at Hazeltine some twenty miles south of the twin cities of Minneapolis-St Paul, Minnesota.

WHILE there was understandable surprise that Graeme McDowell should have emerged victorious in only his fourth appearance on the European Tour on Sunday, those who have followed his progress in the amateur ranks both here in Ireland and on the collegiate circuit in the United States were confident he was destined for great things in the game of golf.