Rory McIlroy finally ended his media absence on Saturday at the U.S. Open, breaking a stretch of limited post-round interviews at major tournaments since the Masters, where he became just the sixth player to complete the Grand Slam.
McIlroy Breaks Silence on Media Boycott
Since winning the Masters in April and completing the career Grand Slam, McIlroy has refused to speak to reporters after competition rounds. He took part in required pre-tournament interviews but skipped media duties after each round at both the PGA Championship and this week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. He did the same during the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow.
Keep Reading: Rory McIlroy Defends Media boycott and Driver Controversy
However, the 36-year-old made an exception last week at the RBC Canadian Open, where he missed the cut. After talking to the press in Canada, McIlroy again refused to speak to the media at Oakmont until Saturday, when he carded a 4-over 74 and fell to a tie for 53rd place. The Northern Irishman was asked whether the tough conditions at Oakmont were causing his frustration and made his feelings clear.
“No, not really. It’s more a frustration with you guys,” he answered. “I’ve been totally available for the last few years. Maybe not you guys specifically, but the whole thing.”
Driver Issue Leak One Of The Reasons For McIlroy’s Media Silence
McIlroy also hinted that his decision to keep quiet wasn’t random. Reports emerged during the PGA Championship claiming his driver had failed a pre-tournament equipment test. The 36-year-old has now stated that the report may have played a role in his decision to boycott the media.
“Yeah, that was a part of it,” he admitted when asked if he decided to boycott the media because of the report. “But I’ve skipped media before. At Augusta, I didn’t talk on Thursday. I’ve done that in the past. I’m just doing it more often now.”
Keep Reading: Rory McIlroy Defends Media boycott and Driver Controversy
He also defended his actions, saying,
“I feel like I’ve earned the right to do whatever I want to do.”
Rory McIlroy just have an emotive press conference explaining why he has been skipping media;
“It’s more a frustration with you guys.”
This is worth a watch.
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) June 14, 2025
Unlike the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, which are not run by the PGA Tour, regular PGA Tour events do not require players to speak to the media after every round. McIlroy seemed to appreciate that freedom and didn’t want to see it go away.
“I’m not daring the PGA Tour to change anything,” he said. “I hope they don’t. It’s a nice luxury to have. I’m just pointing out that we have the option.”
Despite his struggles at Oakmont, McIlroy tried to stay positive. He noted that his driving was solid, even though the results didn’t reflect it. On Friday, he had to play his last four holes in two under par just to make the cut.
Main Photo Credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
