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Rory McIlroy has endured a slump in recent months, having not won a tournament since the Wells Fargo Championship in May, but he still pulls in viewers on TV.
By Aaron Morris
Golf fans still want to watch Rory McIlroy (Image: Getty Images)
Sky Sports hosts have come to the defence of their extensive coverage of Rory McIlroy, despite the golfer's poor run of form. Andrew Coltart and Laura Davies, who provided commentary for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship over the weekend, defended the broadcaster's decision to show the Northern Irishman's rounds - despite being a tournament in which McIlroy finished T25 with an overall score of -4.
This year, McIlroy has only clinched two victories on the PGA Tour the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April, alongside Shane Lowry, and the Wells Fargo Championship in May. And despite starting the year with a DP Tour victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January, his three wins are a far cry from the success he enjoyed during his prime.
Given that the pro hasn't won a major tournament in a decade – his last was the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla – some fans have questioned why McIlroy still garners as much TV coverage as he does.
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However,the Mirrorreports how Coltart and Davies argued that McIlroy still 'moves the needle' when it comes to viewership in 2024, pointing out that his following at the Old Course St Andrews on Sunday significantly outnumbered those watching the intense competition between Tyrrell Hatton and Nicolas Colsaerts.
Coltart said: "I can't help but notice I'm watching all the crowd... if everybody wonders about who still moves the needle, Rory McIlroy is still on that other nine holes and he is out of this tournament and not in contention, and yet the whole crowd are following McIlroy instead of the unbelievably talented and potentially the winner for the third time in this event, Tyrrell Hatton. What does that say?"
Meanwhile, Davies responded: "Well it just says, you know we get criticised for going on about Rory McIlroy a bit too much, but this is just what people want to see. There is proof of it."
Tyrrell Hatton won the tournament (Image: Getty Images)
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In an epic conclusion to the event, Hatton sealed his victory over Colsaerts during the Dunhill Links' final round, securing his third championship with a brilliant -24 against the Belgian's -23. With both contenders neck and neck at -23 as they approached the 18th hole, the 32-year-old English golfer sunk a sensational birdie, leaving Colsaerts to take a par.
McIlroy, despite yielding scores under par across all four rounds of the competition, couldn't muster enough momentum to breach the top portion of the leaderboards. He eventually finished in T25, side by side with notable names like Padraig Harrington, Robert MacIntyre, Scott Jamieson, along with six others.
The 35-year-old will undoubtedly aim for greater heights at the next rostered challenge; the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship next month.
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Rory McIlroy PGA Tour Sky Sports
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