“Sounds like they’re making some changes” Rory McIlroy dines with member of Leafs organization, voices support for team

It’s a riveting time in the sports world right now. The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers are headed to the Stanley Cup Final, the NBA Final is about to get underway, the RBC Canadian Open just wrapped up, baseball season is in full swing, go down the list – there’s lots to talk about right now.

So, let’s talk about the Leafs. It’s not unprompted this time, I swear. Blame Rory McIlroy.

We’re going to revisit that third point from the opening line and take things down the QEW to the city of Hamilton, where the annual RBC Canadian Open just wrapped up. Scottish golfer Robert McIntyre walked away with the tournament win while Listowel, Ontario’s Corey Connors placed sixth, taking home the Rivermead Cup for the lowest-scoring Canadian. Most importantly, however, McIlroy gave an interview and talked about the ever-so-beloved Toronto Maple Leafs.

Whoa, since when is Rory McIlroy an insider?

The 35-year-old had himself a good tournament, tying for fourth place on the leaderboard and taking home a cash prize of a little under $430,000. According to Sportsnet Golf reporter Adam Stanley, the Northern Ireland product also went to dinner with somebody “intimately involved” in the Maple Leafs organization. He’s not just an excellent golfer and insider, he’s a fan of the Leafs, too! Fittingly enough, the topic of the Stanley Cup and the idea of the sheer pandemonium if the Leafs were ever to take it home came up.

“I would certainly love that, along with, I don’t know, probably millions of locals and Canadians,” McIlroy said.

McIlroy gets the edge here because he’s out with Leafs officials apparently discussing the future of the team, but he wasn’t the only golfer to display symptoms of “passion-itis”. French golfer Victor Perez donned an Auston Matthews jersey at one point, prompting some “Go Leafs Go” chants from the crowd, which is cruelly fitting coming from a golf tournament.

With the Oilers in the Final and a number of players with ties to the Leafs in Zach Hyman, Cody Ceci, Connor Brown, and Carter Verhaeghe suiting up, the lack of appetite for another “run it back” style run for the Leafs seems paler than ever, so fans can only hope McIlroy is onto something with this insider info.