Rory McIlroy coverage defended as proof shows he still dominates screens

Sky Sports has stood by its extensive coverage of Rory McIlroy , despite his current dip in form on the green, and the results show this was a smart move .

Andrew Coltart and Laura Davies offered golf fans coverage of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship over the weekend, a tournament where McIlroy finished T25 with an overall score of -4 .

This year, McIlroy has only triumphed in two PGA Tour events , winning the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April alongside Shane Lowry and the Wells Fargo Championship in May.

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He kicked off his year with a DP Tour victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January, but these three wins are a far cry from what McIlroy was achieving during his heyday.

Given that he hasn't clinched a major tournament in a decade now, his last being the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla back in 2014, several fans have queried why McIlroy still receives the amount of TV coverage he does.

However, Coltart and Davies contended that McIlroy still 'moves the needle' when it comes to viewership in 2024, highlighting how his following at the Old Course St Andrews on Sunday was significantly larger than the one following the fierce competition between Tyrrell Hatton and Nicolas Colsaerts.

Coltart noted: "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?"

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Conversely, Davies commented: "Well it just says, you know we get criticized for going on about Rory McIlroy a bit too much, but this is just what people want to see. There is proof of it."

In an enthralling contest at the Dunhill Links, Hatton surged ahead of Colsaerts to claim his third title with a -24, narrowly surpassing the Belgian's formidable -23. Both contenders were tied at -23 as they approached the 18th hole, but Hatton, at 32 years old, clinched a remarkable birdie while Colsaerts had to settle for par.

On the other hand, McIlroy, despite consistent sub-par rounds throughout the tournament, failed to pose a threat to the leaders, ultimately securing a T25 finish alongside Harrington, MacIntyre, Jamieson, and six others. The Northern Irish golf star is now looking forward to making a comeback at the forthcoming Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

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