In the golf world, it’s not just players who make headlines, writers too stir up the drama. Especially Alan Shipnuck. Take the 2023 incident between him and Phil Mickelson for instance. Shipnuck reported that Mickelson had been telling people that Jon Rahm was set to join LIV Golf in 2024. Only issue? Rahm hadn’t confirmed his move yet. Mickelson was furious, especially since he hadn’t said anything of the sort.
Lefty took to his official X account to clear things up, stating, “This isn’t true, and I don’t know anything. I don’t want to know anything, and I haven’t said anything. Alan is the worst liar and a pathetic human.” Shipnuck didn’t hold back either, calling Mickelson a “bullsh*t artist.” And so, the long-running rivalry between the two continued to bubble over. Once again, the writer is on to it. To create chaos, we have to wait and find out. The person of interest this time around is 4x major winner Rory McIlroy.
Alan Shipnuck claims Rory McIlroy to be book-worthy
Alan Shipnuck was part of Dan Rapaport’s recent live cast show ‘Dan on Golf.’ Having authored nine books, he believes that in modern golf, Rory McIlroy is the only player worthy of having a book. Well, is there a disagreement here? The 27X PGA Tour winner has had a ten-year-long major drought and is resiliently playing to win the Grand Slam by taking over the green jacket this year. And well, he has been fierce in the 2025 season, winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, marking his first stroke-play win in California, at the course he considers a “cathedral.” He has his goals clear and has even made his schedule less hectic.
”I think Rory is the only modern character who can actually carry a book as far as the scope of his life, the depth of his thinking, and the passion that he, kind of, inflames,” shared Shipnuck. Well, that was just the professional bit. Rory McIlroy had a huge storm that he just overcame in his life.
He filed for divorce with his wife, Erica Stoll, on May 13, 2024, and was associated with a lot of rumors. However, the Northern Irishman and his wife called off their divorce in June 2024. The couple reconciled and are looking forward to a new beginning together. Taking to this, Shipnuck also added, “Rory, he creates emotion. That’s why the Phil book worked. Love him or hate him, Phil evokes emotion, and I think Rory is in that same camp now.”
Emotions do strike a chord among the audience. Remember how his book, ‘Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf’s Most Colorful Superstar,’ was full of controversies and yet a great seller among the audience. Fans truly admire Mickelson, and the same is the case with McIlroy.
When Alan Shipnuck gets involved with a golfer, you can bet there’s trouble ahead. It’s like no matter who he decides to write about, that player ends up in some kind of drama or controversy.
Alan Shipnuck raises question on Tiger Woods’s car accident
Tiger Woods had a life-changing accident back in 2021. He also had to take a break from golf after that, and never really returned to his original form after that/ While the entire golf world shared sympathies for him, Alan Shipnuck had a completely different take.
In one of the exclusive interviews he all reared in, Shipnuck said that he was not convinced by the storyline of the accident. He also questioned the reason behind it. The famous author first pointed out how “Tiger’s always dismissed any questions about that day by saying it’s all in the police report.”
For the sportswriter, driving at 88 mph in a 40 mph zone, especially with the pedal pressed almost down throughout the accident, raises some serious suspicion. He also mentioned that it wouldn’t make sense if the pro was either asleep or distracted by his phone during the crash. He also added that something had been wrong with Woods the entire day. But there has been no conclusion to the speculations, even after almost four years.
What do you think Rory McIlroy’s book will consist of? Are you excited to read it?
