McIlroy happy with tough schedule

London: Rory McIlroy`s managers have poured cold water on suggestions the U.S. Open champion is facing "burnout" by playing nine tournaments in five countries over the next 11 weeks.

McIlroy arrived in Seoul on Tuesday for this week`s Korea Open and a One Asia Tour event he finished third in two years ago. The 22-year old then heads to China to join world No. 2 Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Chinese number one Liang Wen-chong in the October 10-16 China Golf Challenge, a made-for-TV event involving the four playing two to three holes over seven courses in seven days. McIlroy then heads for Bermuda for the October 18-19 Grand Slam of Golf featuring the four Major winners of 2011. The young Northern Irishman will next travel to Turkey for four days to be with girlfriend Carolina Wozniacki who is competing in the WTA season-final in Istanbul from October 25-30. McIlroy has to be in Shanghai from October 27-30 for the Shanghai Masters at Lake Malaren and he will stay in the Chinese financial capital for the following week`s $7m WGC- HSBC Champions at Sheshan. He then has a two-week holiday planned in Asia ahead of joining Graeme McDowell for the November 24-27 World Cup at Hainan Island, also in China. McIlroy ends his year competing in the 2.75 million dollars Hong Kong Open, the Dubai World Championship and Asia`s Tour Championship in Bangkok in December. Despite the amount of frequent flying miles he`s going to accumulate, his manager Andrew Chandler believes McIlroy will handle the workload in his stride. "No, there`s no concern of Rory suffering burnout simply because he`s not playing golf for the lengthy period he`s going to be away from home," Chandler told reporters. "He`s purposely scheduled a fortnight`s holiday halfway through the run of events and he`s going to be running into the girlfriend a bit including being in Turkey for a few days watching the tennis.” "However, what Rory is undertaking is really no different to what happens throughout the year because in managing players like Lee and Rory they are getting invitations to play all over the place.” "But then when it all boils down Rory has stuck to a schedule this year and when you dissect it he really hasn`t played that much.” "He`s played nine in the States proper and nine regular events on the European Tour so that`s only 18 events.” "And given there is not that much other golf that clashes we don`t see Rory having any problems." Bureau Report