The Loop

Missing Links: 'I couldn't hate him,' Wozniacki says of McIlroy, and a foursome of stars to skip second round of playoffs

August 25, 2014

Stories of interest you might have missed…

"I was like: How can you be so nice?'" Ms. [Serena] Williams said. "She said: I could never hate him. He's been a big part of my life and even if I wanted to, I couldn't hate him.' I was really influenced by that." John Koblin in the New York Times profiles tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, her split with Rory McIlroy and how, as the headline says, she is "poised for a comeback, on court and off."

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(Getty Images photo)

This isn't how playoffs are supposed to work, is it? Graeme McDowell, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose and Paul Casey have qualified to play in the Deutsche Bank Championship this week, but none are playing for a variety of reasons. ESPN's Bob Harig has the story.

Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland joined countryman Rory McIlroy in parting ways with Horizon Sports Management, though unlike McIlroy's split from the agency, McDowell's was not an acrimonious one. "I am at a stage in my life where it feels right to move on to the next phase of my career - both in golf and business," McDowell said in this story by Brian Keogh in the Irish Times.

A trio of Europe's most accomplished players and biggest names — Luke Donald, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood — remain on the outside looking in with nine days remaining before European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley will reveal his three captain's picks. Tony Jimenez of Reuters has the story.

Rory McIlroy's winning streak ended at the Barclays. "I'm going away a little frustrated," he said in this story by Brian A. Giuffra in the Record. "You know, it was going to come to an end sooner or later. But at the end of the day, the great thing about golf is there's always next week."