Rory McIlroy explains media silence after driver ban

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits his tee shot on the 11th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) (George Walker IV/AP)

TORONTO -- Masters champion Rory McIlroy has explained his media silence during the PGA Championship admitting that he was unhappy at the way the news of his driver disqualification was leaked.

The Northern Irishman was forced to change his driver after an inspection by the US Golf Association found it was non-conforming.

World number one Scottie Scheffler later revealed that he too had been forced to change his driver for a similar reason but McIlroy was upset that only his issue had become public on the eve of the season’s second major last month.

“I was a little pissed off because I knew that Scottie’s driver had failed on Monday, but my name was the one that was leaked. It was supposed to stay confidential. Two members of the media were the ones that leaked it,” said the world number two, who skipped media duties throughout the entire week.

“I didn’t want to get up there and say something that I regretted...I’m trying to protect Scottie. I don’t want to mention his name. I’m trying to protect TaylorMade. I’m trying to protect the USGA, PGA of America, myself.

“I just didn’t want to get up there and say something that I regretted at the time,” added McIlroy, speaking ahead of this week’s RBC Canadian Open in Ontario.

McIlroy, who finished tied for 47th at three over for the tournament, also said that there were other factors behind his unwillingness to face reporters.

‘A weird week’

“The PGA was a bit of a weird week. I didn’t play well. I didn’t play well the first day, so I wanted to go practice, so that was fine. Second day we finished late. I wanted to go back and see (daughter) Poppy before she went to bed. The driver news broke. I didn’t really want to speak on that,” he said.

“Saturday I was supposed to tee off at 8:20 in the morning. I didn’t tee off until almost 2:00 in the afternoon, another late finish, was just tired, wanted to go home.

“Then Sunday, I just wanted to get on the plane and go back to Florida. Yeah, look, and also the driver stuff...,” he said

Unlike in some US sports, such as the NFL, golfers are not contractually obliged to speak to the media and McIlroy said that meant he was within his rights to have a week of silence.

“If we all wanted to, we could all bypass you guys and we...could go on social media and we could talk about our round and do it our own way,” he said.

“We understand that that’s not ideal for you guys and there’s a bigger dynamic at play here, and I talk to you guys and I talk to the media a lot.

“We understand the benefit that comes from you being here and giving us the platform and everything else. So I understand that.

“But again, I’ve been beating this drum for a long time. If they want to make it mandatory, that’s fine, but in our rules it says that it’s not, and until the day that that’s maybe written into the regulations, you’re going to have guys skip from time to time, and that’s well within our rights,” he said.

AFP