Dublin--Hopes were rising Tuesday that world number one Rory McIlroy might be spared a protracted court battle with his former management company ahead of the US Masters in April as proceedings were twice deferred at Dublin's High Court.
After the multi-million pounds action started Tuesday, the case was intially deferred until 1400 GMT.
It was then deferred a second time, until 1600 GMT, with Northern Irish star McIlroy's senior counsel, Paul Gallagher, saying "the parties are making progress".
McIlroy now needs just the Masters to become only the sixth golfer in history, and the first from the British Isles, to win all of golf's four major titles -- British Open, US Open, US Masters and US PGA.
If the 25-year-old, the reigning British Open and US PGA champion, dons the Green Jacket at August National he will join the American quartet of Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods and South Africa's Gary Player as the only golfers to have completed a career grand slam.
However, there are concerns that McIlroy, who won the Dubai Desert Classic last weekend, could be distracted in his Masters preparations by what he himself admitted was "not a nice process".
McIlroy is both suing Conor Ridge's Horizon Sports Management company and being counter-sued over the terms of an agreement he struck with the firm in 2011.
The deal, which was renegotiated in 2013, was to last until 2017, with Horizon receiving commission on the golfer's financial dealings.
McIlroy has taken action over over £4.2million (5.6million euros, $6.3million) in fees to Horizon from his earnings on and off the course.
Horizon, meanwhile have argued they have a contract with McIlroy entitling them to a share of his endorsement earnings until 2017.
McIlroy terminated his contract with Horizon in September 2013, forming his own company to manage his affairs, Rory McIlroy Inc.
He argued the terms of his deal were vastly inferior to those signed by other golfers at Horizon, including fellow countryman and major winner Graeme McDowell.
He claims Horizon charged almost four times what top ten golfers pay to agents.
McIlroy was with Horizon when he signed a sponsorship deal with equipment manufacturers Nike in early 2013, said to be worth $100 million over five years, and also signed other high-worth deals.
On the course, he won the 2011 US Open, the 2012 US PGA and became world number one for the first time in his career.
Four-time major winner McIlroy did not talk to reporters as he arrived at court dressed in a a dark navy suit and wearing glasses.
But before his success in Dubai, McIlroy said the legal dispute was not something he would "want anyone to go through".
"It's not a nice process. It's a shame it's went this far but it's hard when two sides see things completely differently," he said.
"The only way to sort it out is to get a judge to come in and tell us what to do."
AFP
