Rory McIlroy Claims Mulligan for Bad Business Decision

Happier Days:  Rory McIlroy and Horizon Managing Director Conor Ridge at the White House in 2012.

In March 2013 I wrote a post outlining the disastrous counsel to Rory McIlroy by Horizon, his management company surrounding the PR fallout after walking off the golf course during the Honda Classic tournament.  Rory McIlroy Should Look Beyond Horizon .  McIlroy split from Horizon in May, two months after the end of the tournament.

Yesterday I came across this follow-up piece  Rory McIlroy To Take The Stand In A Very Different Kind Of High Stakes Game that describes how the #1 golfer and Horizon are dueling in court about releasing McIlroy from his contract.

This issue reaffirms the benefits for celebrity brands of employing separate firms for management, legal counsel and PR counsel.    Although the "one-stop-shop" company may seem like an easy solution for the star athlete or entertainer, this cautionary tale shows the temptation for such firms to fulfill internal corporate objectives at the expense of their clients' interests.

A very costly error for anyone, let alone a trusting young man whose earnings for years to come may have to be shared with the firm that knowingly took advantage of him.