New European Tour chief hails ‘charismatic’ McIlroy

The new European Tour CEO has acclaimed Rory McIlroy as a terrific ambassador for the Tour following his decision to grant McIlroy special dispensation to keep his Tour card despite not playing in enough events this season.

“Rory is one of the greatest ambassadors to the game of golf and his value to the European Tour is significant but his value to the world of golf is even more significant,” said Keith Pelley, who took over from Irish-born George O’Grady at the EuropeanTour’s Wentworth headquarters in April.

“He’s charismatic. He’s intelligent,” Pelley continued, “he’s well-spoken and he is everything you want in an ambassador for a game and we are fortunate he is a member of the European Tour.