Collin Morikawa was in no mood to take the criticism he received after the Arnold Palmer Invitational having decided to not speak to the media following his second place finish at Bay Hill.
Collin Morikawa has arguably been the player on the PGA Tour in the best form over the last few months. But remarkably, the 28-year-old has not won on tour since 2023.
He finished second at The Sentry, and it was a similar story at the Arnold Palmer Invitational this month. Morikawa seemed to have the tournament in his grasp before Russell Henley pipped him at the line. And, quite understandably, the two-time major champion was not in the mood to speak to the press.
Morikawa attempted to explain his stance ahead of the Players Championship – claiming that he did not owe anyone anything. And it seems that those words angered some, with Rocco Mediate issuing the strongest criticism, particularly after the tournament bearing the name of Arnold Palmer.
Paul McGinley responds as Collin Morikawa hits back at the media
Morikawa decided to double down after his second round at TPC Sawgrass. The world number four pointed out that he had signed autographs for around 15 minutes after his loss at Bay Hill. He also reiterated the feeling that he did not owe the press his time.
Speaking on Golf Channel after being named by Morikawa, Paul McGinley suggested that the American missed a real trick by passing up an opportunity to connect further with the fans.
“It’s a word of caution to the players more than anything else: don’t come out and say something like I don’t owe anybody anything, because that does not sound good. Maybe it was the wrong choice of words, but don’t say anything like that. It doesn’t sound right and it’s not what the public want to hear, because ultimately at the end of the day, the public are the ones paying higher prices to come to events, the public are the ones being denied all the best players playing together more regularly in terms of the top events. The product of golf has become diluted. The media is a prism for all of that,” he said.
“And I’ll just finish with the last point, probably the most memorable interview that I can remember in professional golf was one from loss, not victory, and it was Rory McIlroy at the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits when he choked up at the end of a poor performance for Europe up there. And that’s raw emotion, and it humanised Rory and it humanised golfers, and even though it’s a hard thing to do, it’s a very, very positive outlook. It’s not all about smiley faces and everybody winning, there’s got to be give and take for everybody.”
Why Rory McIlroy may actually understand better than most why Collin Morikawa decided to not speak to the media at Bay Hill
There is no doubt at all that McIlroy’s interview at Whistling Straits was one of the most incredible moments of that particular Ryder Cup. It was particularly special because the event is not played for money, and yet, it impacted the Northern Irishman in a way fans have not seen over the years.
That is not to say that Morikawa was at all disappointed because of how lucrative finishing first would have been. The money these players make at the biggest events is astronomical wherever they finish.
What McGinley overlooks however, is that McIlroy himself is no stranger to snubbing the media after an agonising finish. McIlroy left Bryson DeChambeau stunned by leaving Pinehurst almost as soon as the American holed the winning putt at last year’s US Open.
McIlroy would not play for several weeks afterwards, denying the fans the chance to hear from him until the golfing world had largely moved on.
You could definitely have sympathy for McIlroy’s stance, so, while Morikawa has not helped himself with some of his comments, perhaps there should be a little more grace for his actions last week.
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