A bumpy ride on the Open road

It began in January 2013, with an Abu Dhabi laser show worthy of the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Australia that served as a backdrop for his ill-fated engagement to Caroline Wozniacki nearly one year later.

Nike Golf president Cindy Davis presented the latest swoosh festooned star to the world in what we would later discover — courtesy of a still ongoing legal battle — was a €14.7m a year deal.

The $1 billion figure was bandied about in the media was an estimate of what he could earn from the sport through endorsement contracts if he remains healthy and scandal-free for the next 40 years. But McIlroy, then world No 1 and a two-time Major champion, dismissed the vulgar question of money with gusto, which was somewhat ironic, given the legal battle that has ensued with his former agents.