Rory McIlroy defends right to skip media sessions after nonconforming driver news leaked at PGA Championship
Rory McIlroy has an explanation for why he skipped his media sessions at the PGA Championship last month.
McIlroy spoke this time to reporters at the RBC Canadian Open on Wednesday, where he admitted being "p---ed off" after finding out his driver was considered nonconforming and unusable after pre-tournament testing.
McIlroy didn't speak to reporters at all throughout his four rounds at Quail Hollow Club, where he ultimately finished 3-over for the tournament, which was good for T-47th.
"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," McIlroy said in a press conference, via The New York Post. "It was supposed to stay confidential. Two members of the media were the ones that leaked it."
Scottie Scheffler, the winner of the PGA Championship, which marked his first major victory outside his two green jackets from The Masters, also had a nonconforming driver. However, he fared better with an 11-under-par finish.
At the time, Scheffler's name was kept confidential but SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio reported McIlroy's situation during the week.
"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," McIlroy continued.
The PGA Tour does not require golfers to speak to the media, unlike the other major sports leagues in the country. McIlroy said that while he "understands the benefit" of having media coverage during tournaments, "If we all wanted to, we could all bypass you guys, and we could go on social media and we could talk about our round and do it our own way," he said.
"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's written into the regulations, you're going to have guys skip from time to time, and that's well within our rights."
McIlroy, who completed the career grand slam this year with a win at The Masters, is looking to notch his fourth win this PGA Tour season at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley this week.
If he can do so, it would be quite the momentum heading into Oakmont Country Club next week for the third major of the year: the U.S. Open.
Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
24 minutes ago
- Associated Press
San Juan Oaks Golf Club Selected as U.S. Amateur Championship Qualifying Site
Hollister, CA June 05, 2025 --( )-- San Juan Oaks Golf Club has been selected as one of 45 local qualifying sites across the United States, Canada and Mexico for the upcoming U.S. Amateur Championship, to be held this August at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. The qualifying event will be held at San Juan Oaks on Tuesday, June 24, bringing top amateur players from across the region to compete on one of Northern California's most celebrated prestigious honor highlights San Juan Oaks' significant recent upgrades and its growing reputation as a premier destination for championship-level golf. Designed by PGA legend Fred Couples and architect Gene Bates, San Juan Oaks offers a layout that is both challenging and fair—a rare combination that has earned praise from top amateur and professional players alike. With its strategic bunkering, rolling elevation and meticulous conditioning, the course is ideally suited to test the skills of the game's best emerging talent. 'We're honored to welcome the USGA and the U.S. Amateur to San Juan Oaks,' said Manny Freitas, general manager of San Juan Oaks Golf Club. 'This is a proud moment for our entire team and a testament to the tremendous work that has gone into elevating this course. Our team put a lot of thought into updating the course to test every aspect of a player's game. With strategic bunkering and firm, fast greens, San Juan Oaks is designed to challenge top amateurs while still offering a fair and rewarding experience.' The recent course enhancements—part of a broader reimagining of the San Juan Oaks experience—have further elevated its profile. Players and guests now enjoy not only world-class conditions, but also fine dining at 36° North, casual fare at McCann's and Slices and a fully renovated Pro Shop and clubhouse experience. San Juan Oaks Golf Club is located just outside San Juan Bautista in the rolling hills of Hollister, California, and is widely regarded as one of the top golf destinations in Northern California. Contact Information: Gunn Jerkens Jennifer Stoddard 562-499-6707 Contact via Email Read the full story here: San Juan Oaks Golf Club Selected as U.S. Amateur Championship Qualifying Site Press Release Distributed by
Washington Post
40 minutes ago
- Washington Post
As LIV arrives in Virginia, Bryson DeChambeau is its entertainer-in-chief
Bryson DeChambeau's relentless devotion to his craft has become the stuff of legend among peers, who describe the LIV Golf star's work habits as near maniacal. Even when not on the range, the self-proclaimed perfection seeker often is assessing how he can elevate his practice regimen. That attention to preparation and execution has contributed to DeChambeau's two U.S. Open titles, including last year at Pinehurst. It hasn't, however, interfered with another responsibility DeChambeau embraces with similar gusto. As much as winning occupies a wide berth in his headspace, so, too, does being a showman. Forays into that realm have transformed the renegade from the PGA Tour, where he had been a divisive figure, into a social media sensation, with millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram. His YouTube channel has north of 2 million subscribers. DeChambeau's visibility on such platforms is virtually unmatched in the sport. 'Did I ever think it would get this big?' he said during a pretournament news conference ahead of this week's LIV event at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia. 'I had no clue. I really had no idea. Is it now an incredible responsibility? Yes, and I understand that. I want to continue to entertain my fans and continue to play the great game of golf that we all love at the highest level. 'I want to compete, and I want to entertain. Those are the two things I love doing, and it's quite an honor.' Count the president of the United States among his admirers. Earlier this week, DeChambeau visited the White House and, at the urging of President Donald Trump, hit balls on the South Lawn, turning the swath of property into a makeshift par-3. A video of the moment posted by an official White House account on X has been viewed close to 900,000 times. Another viral moment came when DeChambeau traveled to Utah, where he posted to his YouTube channel a video with the tongue-in-cheek title, 'Day in the life of a recreational golfer …' Highlights included flying in a helicopter to a mountain range to hit balls and doing the same at the Bonneville Salt Flats several hours west of Provo. The 63-second clip has generated almost 1 million views. One of DeChambeau's most viewed TikTok videos came in November, five months after outlasting Rory McIlroy by one stroke at the U.S. Open. In the post, which has garnered 1.5 million likes, DeChambeau used a wedge to hit over the roof of his home onto a green in his backyard, needing 134 swings before collecting an ace that triggered a cap-tossing celebratory sprint to retrieve the ball. 'I've always seen this side of him, this playful, fun side, intelligent side, interesting side of him,' said Phil Mickelson, the six-time major champion who departed the PGA Tour for LIV three years ago. 'Since he has really dove into the YouTube space, now everybody gets to see it because he's able to showcase that and not have it filtered by a middle person. … It's been remarkable to see the evolution of that and the way the public has responded to him, because he's always been like that. It just hasn't been able to get noticed, I guess, properly.' Still, the mere mention of DeChambeau can roil PGA Tour loyalists. Some have cast him as a turncoat since he bailed for the Saudi-financed circuit that seeks to disrupt traditional golf norms with 54-hole tournaments in which there are no cuts and team as well as individual competitions. DeChambeau sparked more controversy at this year's Masters after telling reporters that McIlroy, who won his first green jacket to complete a career grand slam, did not speak with him while they played together during the closing round. McIlroy's sports psychologist, the famed Bob Rotella, indicated during a subsequent radio interview with the BBC that the decision not to engage with DeChambeau was strategic and not intended as a personal slight. Also in the aftermath, Padraig Harrington, a three-time major winner, and analyst Brandel Chamblee were critical of DeChambeau. None of that has mattered to DeChambeau's legion of fans who clamor for his autograph at tournaments. DeChambeau reciprocates by signing and posing for pictures before and after each round. He said he plans more of the same this week while also getting his game and mind right for next week's U.S. Open at Oakmont, among the most demanding venues that have hosted the tournament. DeChambeau is aiming to become the first back-to-back winner at the U.S. Open since Brooks Koepka, also on the LIV tour, did so in 2017 and 2018. 'I feel like Bryson is somebody that changes and tries new things every time, which I feel like there's nothing wrong with that,' said Joaquín Niemann, who leads the individual LIV standings, with DeChambeau second. 'You can learn a lot from new experiences. Obviously, he's different. He's way different than me, way different than anybody. The way he approaches the game is completely different, which I feel like is unique, and in his way, it works for him.'
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Panthers at Oilers Stanley Cup Final Game 2 picks, odds: Can Florida even the series?
For the second time in two years, the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers meet in the Stanley Cup Final. After Florida won last year, the Oilers are out for revenge and took the first game 4-3 in overtime. After Edmonton took Game 1, the series odds moved from -125 in the Oilers' favor to -250, but those odds belie how closely contested the first bout was. Our experts lean toward a Florida win in Game 2. Advertisement Oilers lead series 1-0 Series odds: Oilers -250, Panthers +200 Game 1 between the Oilers and Panthers was an absolute banger. Leon Draisaitl opened the scoring early, which already gave this series a different feel from 2024 after he was held off the board in seven games against the Panthers last year. But Florida responded — first with a goal from Sam Bennett that was reviewed (and upheld) for goalie interference, then with a power-play goal from Brad Marchand on the corresponding delay of game. That sequence could have changed the tone of Game 1. Instead, despite Florida taking control of the second period, the Oilers clawed their way back. Viktor Arvidsson pulled Edmonton within one, then Mattias Ekholm tied the game in the third period. That forced overtime, where there were chances on both ends of the ice. Both Stuart Skinner and Sergei Bobrovsky put up quality starts for their teams. But with 31 seconds left on the clock in the first OT period, Connor McDavid set up a Draisaitl power-play goal to win the game. It was a strong start to what should be a tightly contested series. So, how will the Panthers respond? The series may be in Edmonton for another game, but playing on the road generally hasn't hurt Florida. The Panthers are 8-3 on the road this postseason. While the power play is already clicking, the key to Game 2 will be getting more even-strength scoring from the middle-six, since Aleksander Barkov's line's primary focus is slowing down McDavid and Draisaitl. The Oilers, on the other hand, will likely start the game with those two driving their own lines again and adjust later as needed. Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Connor McDavid and Brad Marchand: Codie McLachlan / Getty Images)
