TV Analyst Defends Rory McIlroy's Decision to Skip Media at PGA Championship

Amid a driver controversy, McIlroy didn't speak to the media after rounds of the PGA Championship. Some were not happy with McIlroy, but one analyst is giving him "grace."
Rory McIlroy did not talk to the media after each of his rounds at the PGA Championship.
Rory McIlroy did not talk to the media after each of his rounds at the PGA Championship. / Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Rory McIlroy provided one of the biggest stories from last week’s PGA Championship. 

And not because of his 3-over, T47 finish. 

Ahead of the year’s second major, McIlroy’s driver was reportedly deemed non-conforming via testing and the reigning Masters champion played a backup head en route to hitting 26 of 56 fairways. 

Then, after each round, McIlroy sidestepped the media

That caused a lot of criticism as the Northern Irishman failed to answer for what happened with his driver, but Golf Channel analyst Johnson Wagner is giving McIlroy a pass. 

“I just have to say, I’ve done a couple of walking talks with him in the last two years now and I don't think there I don’t really think there's anybody that can appreciate what Rory goes through on a Tuesday or a Wednesday at a major championship,” Wagner, a three-time PGA Tour winner, said on Golf Channel’s 5 Clubs. 

“I mean, he did his press conference on Wednesday, goes out and played the back nine late. The crowds are massive. Everybody’s yelling at him, wanting a picture, wanting an autograph, and there’s so many inside the ropes credentials that every step he takes, someone wants something from him. And I have so much respect for how he handles himself and on a day when he’s trying to prepare for a major championship.

“So I’m giving Rory grace.”

Others, such as former European Ryder Cup captain Paul ​​McGinley, don’t echo Wagner’s sentiment. 

“I don't think it’s good for the game,”  ​​McGinley told Sky Sports. “I don’t think it’s good for their persona. Rory is very popular and you run the risk of undoing a lot of the popularity when you don’t speak, whatever his reasons were.”

Regardless, McIlroy will see the media again sometime soon.


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Max Schreiber
MAX SCHREIBER

Max Schreiber is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, covering golf. Before joining SI in October 2024, the Mahwah, N.J., native, worked as an associate editor for the Golf Channel and wrote for RyderCup.com and FanSided. He is a multiplatform producer for Newsday and has a bachelor's in communications and journalism from Quinnipiac University. In his free time, you can find him doing anything regarding the Yankees, Giants, Knicks and Islanders.