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Rory McIlroy looks to Roger Federer as role model in business

Caroline Wozniacki caddied for Rory McIlroy at the Masters' Par-3 tournament. (David Goldman/AP) Rory McIlroy tells The New York Times that while Tiger Woods
Courtney Nguyen|
Rory McIlroy looks to Roger Federer as role model in business
Rory McIlroy looks to Roger Federer as role model in business

Caroline Wozniacki caddied for Rory McIlroy at the Masters' Par-3 tournament. (David Goldman/AP)

Rory McIlroy tells The New York Times that while Tiger Woods may have been his childhood idol, nowadays he seeks to pattern himself after Roger Federer.

McIlroy admires the Swiss star's business acumen and actually sought his advice before signing a multimillion-dollar deal with Omega watches last month.

[B]rand-wise, he aspires to be like another Nike endorser, the tennis superstar Roger Federer, who has become a symbol of grace and good taste. McIlroy said he discussed the business side of sports with Federer over dinner in December while in Brazil to watch his girlfriend, the tennis star Caroline Wozniacki. Before completing the deal with Omega, McIlroy spoke for 45 minutes with Federer, a 17-time major singles champion.

“He’s a role model, someone I can pattern myself after,” McIlroy said.
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Courtney Nguyen
COURTNEY NGUYEN

Contributor, SI.com Nguyen is a freelance writer for SI.com, providing full coverage of professional tennis both on and off the court. Her content has become a must-read for fans and insiders to stay up-to-date with a sport that rarely rests. She has appeared on radio and TV talk shows all over the world and is one of the co-hosts of No Challenges Remaining, a weekly podcast available on iTunes. Nguyen graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 1999 and received a law degree from the University of California, Davis in 2002. She lives in the Bay Area.

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