Winner Rory remains close to old manager.

(From Bristol Evening Post)

RORY McIlroy says he remains "very close" to the man he dropped as his manager last month and insists there was "nothing personal at all" in the move that stunned golf.

Northern Ireland's US Open champion walked out of the stable which had four of the last six major winners, plus world number two Lee Westwood, to join Dublin-based Horizon. "It's a decision I didn't take lightly," said McIlroy on the eve of this week's WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

"I thought long and hard about it and had a lot of chats with my Mum and Dad. Sometimes, to go forward in your career, you just need to make decisions." McIlroy told Andrew "Chubby" …