Rory McIlroy signs £80million ten-year TaylorMade deal on top of £160m Nike contract as he targets world No 1 spot

MONEYBAGS Rory McIlroy has just signed a new £80million deal to use TaylorMade clubs – on top of his £160millon contract to continue wearing Nike clothes.

Both deals will run for ten years, and Nike’s decision to pull out of the clubs market at the end of last year has provided McIlroy with a cash bonanza.

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His original five year contract with the company – to use their equipment as well as being decked out in the famous swoosh – was signed in 2013 and was worth £16million a year.

Being able to negotiate with two different companies means he has enjoyed a fifty per cent pay hike.

Even before this latest money-spinner, Golf Digest had already identified him as the game’s biggest earner, with an annual income of just under £25million a year before he even hits a ball. That has just climbed to £33million.

The £250,000 bill for McIlroy’s wedding to American beauty Erica Stoll last month will not cause too much of a dent in his finances, and the UK tax exile says he is looking forward to having a place he can really call ‘home’.

As he prepared to return to action at the Players Championship in Sawgrass, he commented: “The wedding was the greatest weekend of my life, and the other great thing about being married is I’ve finally got a home to go to.

"For the past few years I’ve only been able to spend 120 days in the States and 90 in the UK, so I’ve felt like a proper nomad.

"From now on I’m going to have a proper base, somewhere I can call home. It just makes you feel more centred, more settled, knowing you have somewhere to go back to anytime you feel like it."

McIlroy proudly showed off his wedding ring at Sawgrass, and has the number 22 – the day of his wedding – printed on his new golf balls.

The world No 2 said his biggest concern after over-indulging at the wedding and on honeymoon was “to shed a few pounds” before turning up at Sawgrass.

It seems he just cannot stop the pounds piling up!

McIlroy also said he had been hitting the gym after his honeymoon - after being ribbed by mates that he had a "honeymoon belly".

McIlroy added: "I've been trying to lose weight and shed a few pounds. But the past few weeks have been great, really cool.

"Getting married was the best weekend of my life and hopefully the best weekend of Erica's as well.

"I feel really good coming into this event."