After a terrible end to his opening round at the Masters, Rory McIlroy wasn’t interested in rehashing things.
McIlroy, 35, had two double bogeys in his final four holes at Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday, April 10, leaving him to finish with an even-par 72 and seven shots off the lead.
The Irish golfer declined to speak to the media after his round, which drew backlash from some fans on social media.
“Face of the tour really not acting like the face of the tour [right now],” one person wrote via X on Thursday. Another said, “Pathetic and childish just cos of two bad holes.”
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One fan suggested, “So wait. He wants to do plenty of interviews during the good but none during the bad? I like Rory, but can’t have it both ways.”
McIlroy’s decision came just days after he defended golfers’ right not to speak to the media after their rounds.
“Every other athlete, whether it be in the NBA, NFL, they’re obligated to speak to you guys after a game. We’re not,” McIlroy told reporters during a pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday, April 8. “Whether that’s something that the PGA Tour looks to in terms of putting that into their rules and regulations, but as long as that’s not the case and we have that option to opt out whenever we want, expect guys to do that from time to time.”
McIlroy was asked about the subject after PGA Tour star Collin Morikawa said he “didn’t owe anyone anything” after skipping his media availability at The Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.
The following week at The Players Championship, Morikawa, 28, gave more context for his quote.
“You know, it might have been a little bit harsh that I don’t owe anyone, but I don’t owe anyone,” he told reporters. “I respect the fans. I’m very thankful for them. I’m grateful. It makes me emotional, but it’s just — it hurts to hear people say this, and especially you guys, because I finished the round and I went to go sign [autographs] for 10 minutes, 15 minutes for all the people after. Not a single person from media went to go follow me.”
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Morikawa continued, “So for people to be calling me out is — it’s interesting. It doesn’t show anything. I mean, look, I get what you guys are saying. But I was there. I was signing for every single person right after the round, whether they wanted it or not. I finished second. They could care less.”
McIlroy was also harshly criticized after refusing to speak to the media after a calamitous end to his final round at the 2024 U.S. Open, which saw him miss two short putts on the 16th and 18th holes, effectively costing him the tournament.
In particular, ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt found fault with McIlroy’s decision to evade reporters.
“Rory today did not. And you just have to,” Van Pelt said on Sportscenter. “How it got away on this Sunday and the fact that he walked away without speaking about it will both be remembered.”
