In a recent interview with the Business of Sport, Kinnings talked extensively about McIlroy and his impact on the circuit, the sport and the events he plays.
“He’s involved in the sport on lots of different levels,” said Kinnings.
“He speaks infinitely better than I ever could about the sport. So he’s a great spokesman. He’s young enough now to take the game around the world. He’s always travelled and Tiger travelled.
“When he plays in a tournament, he’ll transform it. If he goes to a market that we’re looking to expand in for the sport of golf, having a superstar like him attracts interest. Commercial and government interest. Broadcast. Content. All the ways that we can grow the sport. Because golf has to shake off some preconceptions, and I think it’s doing that right now.”
“What does McIlroy actually do for the DP World Tour?” asked presenter Charlie Stebbings. “Is it new brands? Is it new sponsors? New audiences? Re-invigorating existing audiences?”
“I think he does all of that,” replies Kinnings. “What you have in Rory, and why we’re so fortunate, is you have someone who plays in a way that totally appeals to people.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if he cruised to an 11-shot victory? But that isn’t Rory.
“He plays shots like he played at seven and 15, like you’ve never seen before, and then he’s fallible.
“No one could imagine that. But people can engage with it because it’s human, and you can see that. That moment when he fell to his knees, I mean, I’ve done this for 35 years and I had tears in my eyes. It was unbelievable. So what he does is he appeals on a human level.
“He’s also very articulate and an extremely competent businessman. He’s got a tech fund already and he’s launched a sports fund.
“At the moment, all the figures are showing people are coming to the game. We all had a tough time during COVID and people had found they were drawn to golf because it’s the most naturally socially distant sport there is.
“So the sport came out stronger, and we refined what we did, and we made a good product. But now he’s able to take it, I think, to an all-new level.
“He’s only the sixth guy ever to win the Grand Slam, which is an extraordinary achievement to win all of the four majors and the first European.
“That gives him a platform. He will understand his responsibility and speak in a way that will help elevate the sport in new regions.
“He could very easily play where the majority of the money is, where the majority of the eyeballs are, and not necessarily give the focus the DP World Tour. We’re very lucky.”
