
Rory McIlroy Speculation Does Nobody Any Favours
View From The Fairway by Derek Clements
If I have one wish for the rest of the golf season it is that Rory McIlroy bowls up at Royal Portrush for The Open Championship and blows the field away.
You will know that I, along with most right-minded people, disagreed with the views he expressed during that horribly spiky interview he gave after the third round of the US Open when he told the media that he had earned the right to do whatever he wanted. He was referring to his decision to pick and choose when he speaks to the press.
All of a sudden, everybody seems to have a view about McIlroy’s mental state. There have been suggestions that he is having problems in his personal life - what this is based upon I have absolutely no idea.
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When the Northern Irishman won The Masters in April it was the culmination of a dream. He had finally collected the missing piece and secured the career grand slam. Many of us believed that with this weight lifted from his shoulders he would go on to perform like a behemoth. There was even talk of him winning all four majors in 2025. This was never going to happen.
After winning at Augusta everybody wanted a piece of McIlroy. None of us can possibly imagine what all those interviews and TV appearances took out of him. And then there was the leaked news that the driver he had been using had failed a test and was non-conforming. McIlroy was rightly furious that the fact that world number one Scottie Scheffler’s driver had failed the self same test - but that was not leaked.
For years, McIlroy has been the go-to man for the PGA Tour. He has always been happy to have a microphone stuck in his face. You will remember that he was a vehement critic of LIV Golf at a time when it looked like it might tear professional golf apart. As things have turned out, I do not believe that it has and I do not expect any kind of peace deal to be forthcoming in the near future.
McIlroy was thrown under the bus when it was announced that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf were in talks. It was disgraceful that he had not been told in advance.
(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)
But still he has been happy to put himself out there on behalf of the PGA Tour. In the absence of Tiger Woods, he is our sport’s most high-profile figure. Yes, I know that Scheffler is the undisputed number one but even Scheffler would admit that when it comes to charisma he doesn’t get off the starting line.
And who would you rather see at their absolute best - McIlroy or Scheffler? For me, it is a no-contest. When he is in full flight McIlroy is in a class of his own. The fact that a largely American gallery were rooting for him when he won at Augusta tells you everything you need to know about his standing in the game.
He is a man who has always worn his heart on his sleeve - and sometimes that has won him few fans. I heavily criticised him after his heartbreaking loss at the 2024 US Open when he once again headed home without either speaking to the media or congratulating Bryson DeChambeau. But it is easy for armchair critics to fire off barbs in McIlroy’s direction. In his defence, he knew that he had thrown the tournament away. And, to make matters worse, it was not the first time he had failed to secure a major that he should have won.
I have to say that I was astonished that he chose to play in the Travelers because he would have known that the media would be gunning for him.
Paul McGinley has been super-critical of the interview he gave at Oakmont - and he is not the only one. Initially, Brandel Chamblee also had plenty to say on the subject, reminding McIlroy that he has a debt to the fans who follow him.
Chamblee, a TV analyst not noted for his sympathetic views or empathy, clearly had time to reconsider and his latest comments sum up my own feelings perfectly.
He said: "I think Rory is the best friend that golf has had over the last decade. He is the best friend golf has had. The most thoughtful person in the media centre.
"So let’s say you have got a best friend. You’ve known each other for 10 or 15 years and then they start acting a bit weird for a week or two. You would say, ‘Is everything okay? Do you need some time? I am here for you, let me know if you need anything. You sort out what you need to and get back to me.' That’s what I would say.
"And I think that is what golf needs to do. We are too quick to judge. Let’s extend a little bit of a grace and understand that people are human and they are going through things."
McIlroy will be taking a break from life on the PGA Tour until after The Open Championship and I am willing to wager a sizeable sum of money that he cannot wait.
His recent form has been patchy at best but this is not something new. He has had numerous spells in his illustrious career when he has gone off the boil. But he always bounces back - and I am certain he will do so again. Winning The Open on his home patch would shut everybody up.

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Tags: rory mcilroy PGA Tour european tour dp world tour