Rory McIlroy is living in a strange space right now. He’s one of the two greatest golfers on the planet, and just accomplished a feat no player has done in 25 years. He’s also, by his own admission, a bit adrift, keeping the golf world at arm’s length while he tries to figure out what’s next.
McIlroy might reel off another four majors, or he might have capped off his career with that magical Masters win in April. It’s all on the table. What’s clear now is that he’s still finding his way through this current transitional period, withdrawing from some of his traditional roles and positions and searching for a new North Star now that he’s claimed that career grand slam at last.
Speaking Wednesday morning before the RBC Canadian Open, McIlroy held forth on several topics, including the big question of why he didn’t speak to the media during any of the four days of competition at the PGA Championship last month. Briefly stated: “Some days you don't feel like talking,” McIlroy said.
On a larger scale, though, the reasons were more varied, ranging from simple fatigue to wanting some more family time to frustration at his own play to the revelation that one of his drivers had been deemed noncomforming, and thus removed from play.
“I was a little pissed off because I knew that Scottie (Scheffler)'s driver had failed on Monday, but my name was the one that was leaked. It was supposed to stay confidential. Two members of the media were the ones that leaked it,” McIlroy said. (The results would have been leaked to the media from the USGA, not from the media, to be precise.)
“I didn't want to get up there and say something that I regretted, either,” McIlroy continued. “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.”
Drivers fail conforming tests all the time, particularly after they’ve been used for a substantial period of time. Scheffler noted after his victory that his driver had failed too. But — as is so often the case with golf — the sport’s obsession with secrecy and confidentiality blows up in its face when secrets get loose.
McIlroy’s frustration with the fact that he was being painted as someone attempting to skirt the rules is understandable, but these kinds of misunderstandings and misperceptions are absolutely within golf leadership’s power to correct. Demystify testing — open it up to every player every week, bring some transparency to the process, stop hiding it behind a cloak of secrecy and skulduggery, and the stigma over “failing” a test will fade.
As for McIlroy not wanting to speak to the media — that’s been the subject du jour at several stops this season. Unlike players in the NFL, NBA and other sports, players on the PGA Tour aren’t required to speak to the media after their rounds.
“If we all wanted to, we could all bypass you guys and we could just go on this and we could go on social media and we could talk about our round and do it our own way,” McIlroy said, holding up his phone. “We understand that that's not ideal for you guys and there's a bigger dynamic at play here, 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.”
Regardless of the ongoing two-step between players and the media — which, let’s be honest, is really only of interest to players and the media — McIlroy’s mindset right now is far more fascinating. How do you get the competitive drive back when you’ve conquered the dragon that’s haunted you your entire career? It sounds like he’s still figuring it out.
“The last few weeks I've had a couple weeks off, and going and grinding on the range for three or four hours every day is maybe a little tougher than it used to be,” McIlroy said. “You have this event in your life that you've worked towards and it happens, sometimes it's hard to find the motivation to get back on the horse and go again.”
The RBC will be his first tournament since a disappointing T47 at the PGA Championship, then it's onto the U.S. Open in Pittsburgh. After a long period of struggle at the U.S. Open, including three straight missed cuts from 2016 to 2018, McIlroy is now on a run of six straight top 10 finishes, including two straight solo second-place finishes. (Both heartbreakers — to Wyndham Clark and Bryson DeChambeau — are likely a lot easier to take in retrospect with a green jacket in the closet.)
“I've had a pretty good first half of the season,” McIlroy allowed, “and I want to have a good second half of the season now, too.”
English (US) ·