Rory McIlroy has received huge criticism from fans and golf journalists alike over the past month or so.
And now Brandel Chamblee has weighed into the debate surrounding McIlroy.
The Northern Irishman didn’t speak to the press for four consecutive days during the PGA Championship in May, and he did the same at Oakmont fr the first two rounds of the US Open this week.
At Quail Hollow, McIlroy’s driver was deemed to be non-conforming just before the start of the tournament, and he boycotted his media duties as a result of his name being leaked to the press.
McIlroy’s recent behaviour has led to calls for a change in the rules, whereby players are obligated to speak to reporters after their rounds.
It simply hasn’t been good enough from McIlroy over the past month.
He owes it to his fans to speak after his rounds, whether he has played well or poorly.
Brandel Chamblee reacts as Rory McIlroy fails to speak at the US Open
Chamblee is well known for being very outspoken when it comes to his takes on the world of professional golf.
He doesn’t hide from calling it how he sees it.
And that was no different when he delivered his verdict on McIlroy’s current situation.
Chamblee took to his social media account and labelled McIlroy’s current actions as ‘puzzling’.
He said, “In my view, Rory has been the best with the media over the last 15 years, which makes his refusal to talk after his rounds at the last two majors so puzzling. I think he is lithe enough to understand this is a bad long term strategy. Fans are fickle. They are incredibly generous to those who give back to them and vicious to those who turn their backs to them. Given that Rory is one of the game’s biggest leaders, him not talking has tricky normative implications in my opinion. Why have past greats (Tiger almost always talked, even after poor rounds) been so generous with the media? Perhaps it’s out of a sense of duty, following a custom passed down to them by the players that came before them who understood that the debt you pay to those who elevated the game before you is by elevating the game for those who come after you. I hope Rory reconsiders his opposition to talking to the media after rounds, because it sends a message to his peers and to those young players who will be on the tour in the coming years.“
Rory McIlroy is letting everyone down with his actions at the US Open
It’s often more valuable to listen to players after they’ve played poorly.
We are now learning a lot about the 35-year-old’s character.
He spoke before the US Open began about how he’s struggling with motivation right now, and he has definitely made things more difficult for himself by snubbing his media duties.
The Masters champion would make things so much easier on himself if he just opened up to the press about how he’s feeling.
Instead though, he continues to create even more speculation with every week that passes.
McIlroy’s actions at the US Open, and the PGA Championship last week, have been simply unacceptable.
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