It was so nearly a near-perfect first round for Rory McIlroy at The Masters, with fans probably watching his approach on 15 and thinking that he was ideally placed to go on and finally end his wait to win the green jacket.
Once again, it was hard not to be optimistic about Rory McIlroy heading into The Masters following his two wins on the PGA Tour already at the start of 2025. Crucially, it appeared that McIlroy had found a way to win when not at his best.
Unfortunately, those of us who were hopeful that this may be the year are now dealing with disappointment. McIlroy threw away four shots over the final four holes at Augusta National to leave himself seven shots back of the lead.
The Northern Irishman, understandably, was seemingly struggling to hide his frustration. McIlroy spoke to no media after the round in scenes which will have evoked memories of his agonising finish on Sunday at last year’s US Open.
Rory McIlroy criticised for his actions after the opening round at The Masters
While McIlroy’s anger made sense, it seems that plenty of golf fans have no time for the 35-year-old deciding not to speak after his round.
One fan wrote: ‘He acts as though he has Tiger Woods’ win record. Not ever a good look and sad for some to look up to.’
Another said: ‘Good reason to not root for him‘. Someone else agreed with that take, posting: ‘you’ll never catch me rooting for Rory‘.
One person noted: ‘This is a grown man by the way…‘ And even his supporters struggled to defend him, with one saying: ‘So wait. He wants to do plenty of interviews during the good but none during the bad? I like Rory, but can’t have it both ways‘.
One viewer does not expect McIlroy to even make the cut now, as they wrote: ‘As he should. He’s embarrassed. Had it all going and now it’s over. Saturday and Sunday are most likely going to spent on the couch. You want him to say that out loud. It’s obvious.’
Another simply put: ‘So unlikable.’
There were still some who were defending McIlroy, with one fan posting: ‘He is human after all and those things are emotional beings by nature. He killed his game in the latter stages. He’s still unstable to address the public. Give the kid a break.’
How McIlroy reacted to Collin Morikawa snubbing the media at Bay Hill
The topic of whether players should give interviews to the media has been a hot one lately because of Collin Morikawa deciding not to speak to the press after losing out at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Morikawa did not help his cause by subsequently claiming that he owed the media nothing. But when asked about his stance this week, McIlroy defended the American.
“Well, he’s right. Not that I think he could have worded it a little bit better, but look, every other athlete, whether it be in the NBA, NFL, they’re obligated to speak to you guys after a game. We’re not. Whether that’s something that the PGA Tour looks to in terms of putting that into their rules and regulations, but as long as that’s not the case and we have that option to opt out whenever we want, expect guys to do that from time to time,” he said.
It is a difficult situation. It adds to the drama of the sport when McIlroy cannot bring himself to speak to the media. And in truth, it is hard to know what he could say which would be insightful after such a collapse.
However, it is a great point that McIlroy cannot only do press when he plays extremely well. It will not sit right with fans if he does now speak to the media should he put a much better score together on Friday.
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