His first major championship since becoming the latest grand slam winner and the story that his driver was deemed “non conforming,” Rory McIlroy had a lot to talk about last week. Yet he said nothing.
McIlroy is the latest PGA Tour player to shun the media post round, he did it for all four rounds of last week’s PGA Championship, following recent cold shoulders by Collin Morikawa and Shane Lowry after near misses at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Truist Championship.
Morikawa later admitted that he ‘didn’t want to talk to anyone’ and he ‘didn’t owe anyone anything’ despite coming under intense criticism.
Lowry declined to speak after another near miss on the PGA Tour a fortnight ago and he has been a regular advocate for golfers to be given some time to settle down after a round before addressing the media.
“I think we need time,” he said after his final round at The Masters. “I think I need half an hour now to sit there and gather my thoughts. I can’t be coming to talk to you guys straightaway. It shouldn’t be happening. I don’t agree with it.
“Tennis players have to talk to the media, but they have half an hour or hour before they have to do it. I feel like we should have the same thing. That’s how I feel. I’m probably going to say something stupid. I probably already have said something stupid because I’m p***** off right now.”
Speaking after the PGA Championship, former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley told Golf Channel: “My view is very clear, I said it about Collin Morikawa and I’ll say it about other players, I’ll say it about Rory McIlroy, I don’t like it when they don’t do interviews.
“I don’t think it’s good for the game, I don’t think it’s good for their persona. Rory is very popular and you run the risk of undoing a lot of the popularity when you don’t speak, whatever his reasons were.”
Last week’s PGA Championship never truly got going. It lacked a spark and there was a sense of inevitability to Scottie Scheffler’s victory.
McIlroy playing poorly – his worst result of the season – contributed to that as did his radio silence.
But why should McIlroy speak after an opening 74 when there are 100 players ahead of him? Why should he speak after just making the cut on the number?
Golf still relies heavily on McIlroy’s voice it seems. Even when he lost the 2024 US Open to Bryson DeChambeau, it was nearly as much about how he would respond to questions rather than how Bryson felt.
McIlroy skipped media on that fateful Sunday too.
He was hung out to dry by the PGA of America last week when he was publicly named to have had a driver that was non conforming on the Tuesday before the tournament, which had an impact on his performance off the tee all week.
McIlroy had chances to respond in the media but declined.
Player power is growing on the PGA Tour. They are not obliged to speak to the media post round and they are starting to abuse that fact.
The media are the only real connection between players and fans of golf and McIlroy has set a dangerous precedent going forward.
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