Rory McIlroy stirred up a debate at the PGA Championship by declining to speak to the media after all four of his rounds at Quail Hollow.
While some have suggested it was in response to a pre-tournament USGA test that deemed his driver non-conforming, and a desire to remove himself from the inevitable Masters-related questions, it wasn’t the first time he’d skipped media.
He didn’t talk to reporters after the first round of this year’s Masters or after the final round of the 2025 US Open. While most accept the occasional pass – something Tiger did during his pomp – not talking to journalists at all during the course of a tournament raised some eyebrows (something Tiger never did).
The issue, or non-issue depending on your point of view, has come into sharp focus of late. Shane Lowry didn’t talk to the media after narrowly missing out to Sepp Straka at the Truist Championship and, weeks before at The Masters, spoke about the fact he didn’t think players should have to do media straight after their rounds.
At the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Collin Morikawa didn’t engage with the press after a disappointing Sunday and said he “didn’t owe anyone anything” a week later ahead of the Players Championship.
I’ve made my feelings on the matter very clear – I think it’s ignorant, short-sighted and misguided. I also think it sets a dangerous precedent.
Still, I’m also aware other viewpoints are available and I was keen to see what the Golf Monthly community thought on the matter. As expected, the under-article comments on that piece were mixed. I’ve listed the viewpoints from both sides below…
Players should speak to the media
– “As a wise baseball guy (Branch Rickey?) once noted, ‘Hitting a ball with a stick isn't a living unless someone wants to pay to watch you do it.’
“Fans pay for admission, sports/golf channel subscriptions, and with their time to watch the event live or on television. Sponsors pay in the hope that fans engaged by the events and coverage will buy their products.
“Someone should explain all this to the golfers – perhaps the European players, who generally seem to get it and usually are more interesting than my fellow North Americans, even in their second languages.” – Raymond Masleck
– “The payouts for tournaments are based on corporate sponsorships. The fans do not pay for player payouts. They owe us nothing and frankly what a golfer has to say is almost always boring and redundant.
“The PGA and their sponsors can and should however hold their players responsible to be available for the media. The media is the conduit between the players and the fans.” – the Chucker of the North
– “I would have thought that the sponsors would like their walking billboards to communicate with the target market! I understand now that I am wrong. Perhaps, we as the consumer, should boycott the marketed product. Would it make a difference, I do not know.” – robert.cardozo1
– “They are all overpaid, coddled, self-absorbed, condescending and spoiled. They play a game! They don't save lives like first responders, or surgeons. They don't risk their lives protecting us like police officers or members of the military.
“Money reveals who people are, and it isn't pretty. Money doesn't equate to being a successful human being.” – Lucy 1962
Players shouldn't feel obliged to speak to the media
– “This is rich. The poor press playing the "woe is me" card because the players won't talk to them. The players are paid to perform and we get to see that every week. Who really wants to listen to disheartened golfers respond to inane or even stupid questions from the media after a loss?
“Unless it's a requirement to play on the PGA Tour, then they have every right to avoid the press if they so desire.” – Mark Dupuy
– “The media is out of line. They should only expect to cover the game, anything else is up to the player. The media is arrogant, jealous and vindictive; they know that the player needs to concentrate on one shot at a time but they insist on distracting him/her claiming that they are responsible for the player's fame; they want their contribution to be acknowledged.
“They want the players to consider themselves 'entertainers' not sportsmen and thus the media will be equally important. The media needs to learn the humility that is appropriate to their status in connection to the great players.” – David Cox
– “Why would any normal person expect someone who’s had a stinker of a last round to want to answer stupid questions on the round? It’s completely meritless unless folk want to see people needled for the sake of it.” – Rudolph-Hooker
Have an opinion? Let us know in the comments below...
