DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Embroiled in court cases on both sides of the Atlantic, Rory McIlroy has bemoaned the off-course distractions that have forced him to replace winning golf titles with making trips to lawyers' offices.
The Northern Irishman remains without a victory in 2013 as he returns
to Dubai this week to defend the last title he captured, the World Tour Championship, and has slipped from No. 1 in the rankings to No. 6.
In the intervening 12 months, he has become tied up in legal wrangles against his former management company, Horizon Sports Management, and the other against his former sponsor, Oakley.
"I've seen more lawyers' offices and more lawyers this year than I care to see in my entire life," McIlroy said on Tuesday. "It's not something I ever want to go through again, and I'm making sure that I won't go through it again.
"As a golfer, you want your mind as clear as possible, and it's hard for that to happen when you've got other things that are going on that, firstly, you don't want to happen, and secondly, you don't feel should be happening. It has been a distraction and I haven't had to deal with it as much as some of the guys around me."
