(Reuters) - Rory McIlroy has ruled out playing in Saudi Arabia next month, saying he has no interest in contesting the Jan. 30-Feb. 2 tournament that has offered lavish appearance fees to attract many of the world's top players. A week after Tiger Woods revealed he had turned down the Saudi International, a European Tour event, McIlroy did likewise. But unlike Woods, who studiously avoided commenting on the politics of the country while explaining his reasons not to play, McIlroy was less reticent to address the complicated intersection of sport and politics. "It's just not something that would excite me," McIlroy said in a studio interview on Golf Channel on Monday, not denying a report that he had been offered a $2.5 million appearance fee to play in the Middle East event.

Source: International New York Times December 09, 2019 20:26 UTC