Rory McIlroy explains decision to duck media at PGA, saying he didn’t want to discuss driver issue
CALEDON, Ontario (AP) — Rory McIlroy explained his decision not to speak to the media during last month’s PGA Championship, saying Wednesday he was annoyed that news had leaked about his driver failing to pass inspection before the tournament.
McIlroy said the results of equipment tests are supposed to be confidential and noted that Scottie Scheffler’s driver had also failed before the championship, but that was not reported until afterward. Scheffler revealed after he won the PGA for his third major title that he had been forced to use a backup driver.
“I didn’t want to get up there and say something that I regretted,” McIlroy said in a news conference at the Canadian Open, which begins Thursday. “I’m trying to protect Scottie. I don’t want to mention his name. I’m trying to protect TaylorMade. I’m trying to protect the USGA, PGA of America, myself.”
It was a strange week for McIlroy, who arrived at the PGA as the most celebrated player in golf after he completed the career Grand Slam with his triumph at the Masters. Instead of taking a victory lap at Quail Hollow — a course where he has won four times — McIlroy was in a bad mood all week, and his refusal to discuss the driver test was much debated.
McIlroy gave a day-by-day breakdown of his decisions not to talk to reporters, saying he wanted to practice after his poor first round. He finished his second round late and wanted to put his daughter, Poppy, to bed. He didn’t want to talk about his driver, he was tired after his weather-delayed third round, and after his week concluded with a tie for 47th place, he just wanted to go home.
He reiterated that PGA Tour players are not required to speak to the media.
“I talk to the media a lot,” McIlroy said. “I think there should be an understanding that this is a two-way street, and as much as we need to speak to you guys — we understand the benefit that comes from you being here and giving us the platform and everything else, I understand that — but again, I’ve been beating this drum for a long time.
“If they want to make it mandatory, that’s fine, but in our rules it says that it’s not, and until the day that that’s maybe written into the regulations, you’re going to have guys skip from time to time, and that’s well within our rights.”
McIlroy also declined to talk to reporters after he blew a late lead and lost to Bryson DeChambeau in last year’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
He’s a two-time winner of the Canadian Open, and he skipped a PGA Tour signature event last week at the Memorial to play in Canada as his tuneup for next week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont.
Whether he’ll be interested in discussing his performance at the storied western Pennsylvania venue remains to be seen.
“If we all wanted to, we could all bypass you guys and we could just go on this,” McIlroy said, holding up his phone. “We could go on social media and we could talk about our round and do it our own way.
“We understand that that’s not ideal for you guys and there’s a bigger dynamic at play here.”
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