Masters champion not giving interviews, has driver doubts and now slighted a legend

In April, golfing super star Rory McIlroy was basking in the glory of a long-awaited Masters success. Come May, and golf fans have been exposed to some very un-McIlroy behaviour.

WHEN Rory McIlroy got over the line on that last Augusta green and collapsed as if the bones had been sucked from his body, the question quickly became: “What next?” More majors, chat shows and gongs perhaps, but few expected so much negativity.

It is two weeks until the US Open and 44 days since McIlroy completed the career grand slam. He got a round of applause at his post-Masters press conference and inspired paeans from far and wide. Then he snubbed the media after every round at this month’s US PGA Championship, declining to add some clarity to the story about his nonconforming driver and thus creating a vacuum for gossip and social media conspiracies.

Now Jack Nicklaus has admitted he did not get a courtesy call to explain McIlroy’s decision to skip his Memorial Tournament this week.

Things have dramatically changed since this moment at the Masters in April. Picture: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

“So what?” you might think, and you would be right, but for the fact this is very un-McIlroy. It is hard to think of any other player who has given more of himself to the media, both in time and inner thoughts. Players are not mandated to talk to the media after rounds, and Collin Morikawa and Shane Lowry have been championing the right to refuse in recent months, but it was odd for the most recent major winner not to offer even cursory comments for four days at the next one.

If media quibbling about media access is not much of a sob story, McIlroy’s lack of communication over his no-show at the 50th Memorial Tournament was more surprising. “I didn’t have a conversation with him, no,” Nicklaus, the venerated tournament host, said.

Jack Nicklaus speaks ahead of his Memorial Tournament this week. Picture: Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Rory McIlroy at the recent US PGA Championship. Picture: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

“I was aware of it the middle of last week. Yeah, it surprised me. But guys have schedules and things they do. I haven’t talked to him for him to tell me why or why not. It’s just his call. I made a lot of calls that I had to make when I played and sometimes it wasn’t as popular as people thought it was.

“I don’t hold anything against Rory for that. I know he likes to play so many in a row. He likes to play the week before the US Open. And so that’s what he’s doing. I really don’t have a comment on it. It’s very difficult. I mean, I’m a big Rory fan. I always have been. I’m sure that I will remain that way. I just, I was a little surprised, yes.”

The pair have always had a good, respectful relationship. The week before the Masters they had lunch together and McIlroy went through his plan for Augusta, shot by shot. Nicklaus did not say a word until he had finished. Then he remarked: “I wouldn’t change a thing.”

McIlroy interacts with Nicklaus at the 2023 Memorial Tournament. Picture: Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images

During the height of PGA Tour-LIV Golf hostilities, McIlroy often lauded the traditions cemented by the likes of Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. “I hate to see all that hard work they put in come to nothing,” he said.

Of course, nobody should be overcritical of a man for tinkering with his schedule, especially when committing to play in places like Australia and India, and McIlroy may also have a very good explanation for keeping his counsel. However, it has been a strange sort of victory parade.

At the US PGA at Quail Hollow it emerged that McIlroy’s driver had been nonconforming, in effect too springy, although neither the player nor the PGA of America actually confirmed that. The organisation did, however, issue a mid-tournament statement that said a third of the field had been tested and that there were no concerns about “player intent”.

It seemed like a storm in a teacup as drivers creeping over the conformance threshold is common. However, without commenting, McIlroy left a platform for his more committed critics to ask whether he had used a nonconforming driver at the Masters.

Was he annoyed that his result had been leaked? Maybe, but Scottie Scheffler was unfazed when Xander Schauffele merrily told journalists the world No1 had also failed the test.

McIlroy had trouble with his driver at the PGA Championship. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

After winning the US PGA, Scheffler confirmed he had changed clubs and laughed when asked if it had been responsible for some errant drives: “I think that was my fault.” Scheffler also said he had half-expected his driver to fail the test as he had used it for more than a year. Then he called for more robust testing of all the field. “You can test guys every week if you want,” he said. “I mean, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t.” He effectively addressed the issue in barely a minute.

Scheffler quickly addressed the driver issue after winning the PGA Championship. Picture: Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

When McIlroy does face the media again, presumably at next week’s Canadian Open, he will get asked about drivers, especially after the latest twist with Lucas Glover, the 2009 US Open champion, saying players regularly cheat the testers.

On SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, Glover said: “Most guys don’t give them their real driver anyway. They give them their back-up just in case. It’s true. I know a lot of guys, they keep two drivers in their bag just in case. ‘Hey, oh, yeah, it’s this one. Test this one.’ ”

Meanwhile, the US Women’s Open starts at Erin Hills on Thursday with Britain’s Charley Hull in a standout grouping with Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson. Hull was second two years ago but missed the cut at the first major of the year, the Chevron Championship, which was won by Mao Saigo after a five-women playoff.

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Originally published as Masters champion not giving interviews, has driver doubts and now slighted a legend