Just three days after interviewing Chandler on the verandah at Caesars Golf Macau following the conclusion of the Shui On Land China Golf Challenge, which starred Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, word came through that 22-year-old McIlroy had left Chandler's International Sports Management agency to join the same management company as his good friend Graeme McDowell. This was big news. This was also, for the purposes of this story at least, rather unfortunate timing.
McIlroy is golf's leading light and Chandler is seen as the hottest agent in the game, thanks to an incredible last 18 months that has seen his players –Darren Clarke, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen and, of course, McIlroy –net major championships. He also manages the interests of world number two Westwood. McIlroy and Chandler's relationship, on the face of things, seemed strong – both have clearly benefited tremendously from their time together.
In the immediate aftermath of their separation – which was announced after the final round of the PGA Grand Slam event in Bermuda – there was speculation that the split had been engineered months in advance, that Chandler knew what was coming. I didn't get that impression at all.
Although Chandler, who formed ISM in 1989 after a less-than-stellar playing career that saw him win only once on tour, admitted that McIlroy "has his own ideas and doesn't want to be told what to do", he was full of excitement when talking about the young Northern Irishman.
Chandler, a bear of a man with a thick northern English accent, is a straight-talker, one who has strong opinions on the state of the game and isn't afraid to ruffle a few feathers along the way. Whether he can enjoy the same success without the Golden Boy remains to be seen, but there seems little doubt that the 58-year-old is enjoying his life – and his work – to the full.
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