Rory McIlroy, the number one ranked golfer in the world, is set to hit the endorsement free agency market at the end of the year. According to Brian Keogh of the Irish Times, there is speculation that McIlroy will sign with Nike and that the deal could be worth as much as $250 million:
SPECULATION HAS grown in recent days that Rory McIlroy could be in line to sign a massive deal with Nike when his current contract with Titleist/Footjoy expires at the end of the year. Such a deal could be worth up to $250 million (€192m) over 10 years, which is similar to Tiger Woods’ current deal with Nike.
At this point, it is difficult to tell if there is substance to this rumor, or just an educated guess. However, when McIlroy was asked about the rumor, he danced around the question, saying (via Reuters) that he leaves those matters up to his manager "so I can concentrate on my golf."
Either way, the deal would make sense. Tiger Woods' current deal with Nike pays him close to $30 million annually. And despite their insistence on sticking with Woods, McIlroy is the closest thing golf has to an heir-apparent.
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