PGA Tour Has 'Concerns' After Rory McIlroy Skipped Interviews

Golf superstar Rory McIlroy sparked quite a bit of controversy last month when he made the decision not to speak to the media after all four rounds of the PGA Championship. And it sounds like the PGA Tour has some "concerns" about that move from the superstar.

Last week, McIlroy defended the controversial decision as he made it clear that while he understands why fans, media, and the Tour were not exactly happy with his decision, unless the PGA Tour makes interviews mandatory for players, there are going to be players who choose to skip media availability.

“From a responsibility standpoint, look, I understand, but if we all wanted to, we could all bypass you guys, and we could just go on this, and we could go on social media, and we could talk about our round and do it our own way,” McIlroy told the press at the RBC Canadian Open on Wednesday. “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.

“I think there should be an understanding that this is a two-way street, and as much as we need to speak to you guys, we’re sort of… 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.”

According to Golf Channel reporter Rex Hoggard, the PGA Tour has a bit of a problem with the decision from McIlroy.

In Wednesday’s edition of the Golf Channel Podcast hosted by Rex Hoggard and Ryan Lavner, Hoggard reported that the PGA Tour had some "concerns" with McIlroy's decision to skip interviews and his stance on interviews generally.

“Certainly, this is something that Rory has thought about,” Hoggard said via Awful Announcing. “Certainly, this is something that the PGA Tour has thought about. And I can say, in conversations with the Tour since this happened, I tend to be in agreement with those in the communications department that have the same concerns as you and I in the media have. When you have a player of Rory McIlroy’s stature that skips all four days, it’s not great.

“But the bigger issue here is that it sets a standard for every other player on the PGA Tour. The other 155 players at Quail Hollow were looking and saying to themselves… ‘Well, if that guy isn’t going to do it, why in the world would I talk to the media after a round?’ That is disturbing; that’s concerning for all of us in the media. The flip side of that would be what you are alluding to. The idea that maybe, like most sports, maybe the PGA Tour should have a policy that demands players should have media availability after each round.”

We'll have to see whether or not the Tour will decide to make these interviews mandatory at any point in the future.