Brian Harman, Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy all headline the Dubai Desert Classic this week.
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DUBAI — What happens when an Australian, an Ulsterman and an American walk into a newsroom?
They all say the same thing.
Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy and Brian Harman are those three men this week, all on the field at the Dubai Desert Classic, and all sitting in front of the microphone on Wednesday afternoon. Well, they didn’t say Exactly the same thing. But as different as they may be: McIlroy, an emotional leader and European golf legend, Scott, a calm and patient thinker, and Harman, quiet and underrated before his victory at the Open last summer, they all faced the same thing: the tedious nature of professional golf’s split schedule.
Professional golfers still have it pretty good, of course. But that part of the job is probably more onerous than it was before, as we enter the third year where we face more questions about the politics of golf than about their own game.
McIlroy, who has defended the PGA Tour colors for the past two years, resigned from the political council of the Tour last fall. Meetings take up a lot of time, he is preparing to move to England and he wanted to get some free time back to work on his craft. Plus, it’s been a long few years for the 34-year-old. His opinions haven’t been closed off, but he doesn’t think he can say much more. After admitting that the biggest obstacle to the future is the alignment of interests within the game, particularly among players, fans and media, I asked if he spent time campaigning to his colleagues these days.
“I’m done with it,” McIlroy said. He certainly tried.
Unlike McIlroy, Scott has only just begun his tenure on the policy board. Over the next three years he will participate in meetings that will determine how the sport is governed at the highest level. He attended several of these meetings in 2023, out of pure interest, just to observe and learn before his term officially begins. He has a lot of useful information, his professional colleagues say. He shares them when the moment seems appropriate. But publicly, his shared opinions are more focused, favoring stoicism over emotion, and rarely raising his hand.
Scott was asked 10 questions during his press appearance Wednesday afternoon; all 10 focused on his new role on the board and the future of the sport. After practice, I asked him about this series of important questions that never dared to go off topic.
“Yes I TO DO playing golf,” he said with a smile.
As for Harman? he is very happy to be here in Dubai for the first time. And why wouldn’t it be? The jet lag from traveling from Hawaii hasn’t crushed him yet. (It will, in due time.) He says it’s pretty cool that sports can introduce you to places you wouldn’t otherwise visit. He seems very content going about his business, working on the farm in the offseason, attending Georgia football games, and making as many birdies as possible from the ropes. But when asked about LIVGolfand whether the game would have reached this point without it, Harman didn’t have much to say.
“That’s a good question,” he said. “I have no prospects because LIV is here, and I’m here, so I don’t know. I would have to think about it.
So. McIlroy: A little exasperated. Scott: A little reserved. Harman: still getting his bearings. None of them are ultimately too declarative. As the sport moves toward an unknown resolution, slow progress and uncertainty will wear down its stars, the biggest of which are invited to speak at these gatherings before almost every event they participate in. The places change, but right now the questions are being asked. remains the same. It’s hard to imagine anyone liking it at this point.
