McIlroy opens up about skipping interviews

Most of the time, when Rory McIlroy talks, he makes news. At other times, he doesn’t talk and still generates headlines.

However, when he talks about not talking? That could be when he speaks loudest.

On Wednesday, McIlroy sat down in the media room at the RBC Canadian Open for the first time since he skipped four invitations to do the same thing at the PGA Championship three weeks ago. That caused a backlash from the media which wanted to hear from the Masters champion.

While there was his mediocre play to deal with, the main topic of interest was a driver that failed to conform to golf standards. The well-used club had exceeded the limits in pre-tournament testing, allowing it to deliver a ball further than the rules allowed.

Club testing is a regular feature on the PGA Tour and major championships. Each week, a random sample of players are asked to hand over their clubs for inspection and each week a handful fail, mostly due to overuse. The owners of those are expected to be kept secret.

But at the PGA Championship, that didn’t happen. The news of McIlroy’s non-conforming driver leaked out and there were insinuations from those that don’t understand the rules, that he was somehow trying to gain an advantage. Others suggested that perhaps he was using the non-conforming driver to win the Masters.

According to McIlroy, after the first round at Quail Hollow, he opted to skip the media scrum because he wanted to fix his game on the range. That’s acceptable. On Friday, he finished late and opted to head home to tuck in his daughter, Poppy, rather than answer questions. Also understandable. Saturday, he endured a six-hour rain delay that left him exhausted and so it was right to bed, and on Sunday all he wanted to do was finish his round and head to the airport. Both just fine.

Except for certain members of the media who wanted answers.

On Wednesday, at the RBC Canadian Open, McIlroy finally admitted his reluctance to chat in front of microphones was more than just bad timing and bedtimes.

“The driver stuff,” he said, “I was a little pissed off because I knew that Scottie's driver had failed on Monday, but my name was the one that was leaked. It was supposed to stay confidential.

“I didn't want to get up there and say something that I regretted, either, because 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. I just didn't want to get up there and say something that I regretted at the time.”

Avoiding the press is not convenient, if you’re a member of the media. But McIlroy is not required to do so after a round. The PGA Tour has no rule demanding they offer up comments after 18 holes. None of the major championships do either.

And that’s good thing. Forcing a player to talk when they don’t want to do so results in nothing worthwhile. For reference, check the comments from players who detest being at the Super Bowl media day.

Sometimes saying nothing is all a writer or broadcaster needs to know. When McIlroy let last year’s U.S. Open title slip through his hands over the last few holes at Pinehurst, he left the 72nd hole, walked past the media and was in his car headed for the airport in mere minutes. That spoke volumes. Nothing he could have said would have added to it. Forcing him to talk after a heart-wrenching loss to Bryson DeChambeau would have produced nothing but pain.

“We understand that that's not ideal for you guys and there's a bigger dynamic at play here,” said McIlroy of the option to skip an interview. “And I talk to you guys, and I talk to the media a lot. 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. So 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.”

That’s the way it should be. Sure, it makes the job of a journalist more difficult, but not impossible. There were plenty of stories that came out of the PGA Championship that seemed to make it into print or on the air without quotes around McIlroy’s words.

This week at the RBC Canadian Open, McIlroy was back to chatting and giving the enlightening interviews for which he’s known. Tomorrow? Who knows?

“Some days you don't feel like talking,” he said.

And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.