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Masters champion Rory McIlroy has finally explained his quiet stance during the recent PGA Championship, revealing frustration over how news of his driver’s disqualification was leaked to the media.
The Northern Irish golfer was forced to switch his driver after the US Golf Association (USGA) ruled it non-conforming during a pre-tournament inspection. World number one Scottie Scheffler faced the same issue but did not have his situation publicly revealed.
“I was a little pissed off because I knew Scottie’s driver had failed on Monday, but my name was the one that was leaked,” McIlroy said ahead of the RBC Canadian Open. “It was supposed to stay confidential. Two members of the media were the ones that leaked it.”
The world number two admitted his media silence throughout the PGA week was partly to avoid saying something in the heat of the moment that he might later regret. “I’m trying to protect Scottie. I don’t want to mention his name. I’m trying to protect TaylorMade, the USGA, PGA of America, and myself,” he explained.
McIlroy also cited other reasons for avoiding media engagements during the event. He struggled with his game early in the tournament and wanted to focus on practice. After late finishes each day, he preferred to spend time with his family, especially his daughter Poppy.
He described the PGA Championship week as “a bit of a weird week” and acknowledged he felt exhausted by the schedule and the controversy surrounding his driver.
Unlike some professional sports, golf players are not contractually obligated to engage with the media. McIlroy defended his decision to take a break from press duties as within his rights. “If we all wanted to, we could bypass you guys and go on social media to talk about our rounds in our own way,” he said.
He added that while he appreciates the media’s role, he believes mandatory media obligations should be formally written into the rules before being enforced strictly. “Until that happens, you’re going to have guys skip from time to time, and that’s well within our rights,” McIlroy concluded.
