Rory McIlroy insists he has ‘earned the right’ to swerve post-round interviews.
The Northern Irishman did not speak to media for all four rounds of the PGA Championship, a tournament where his driver was found to be ‘non-conforming’ in random testing.
He followed a similar pattern for the first two rounds at this year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont County Club.
Although he managed to survive the cut by two strokes, something the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry and Phil Mickelson did not, McIlroy cut a frustrated figure after he shot a third round 74 to leave him at +4 for the tournament.
However, in somewhat of a surprise, McIlroy chose to speak with the media following his third round.
He began by assessing his third round display and didn’t waste much of his breath on his verdict.
“Pretty average,” McIlroy said.
He then lifted the lid on why he had snubbed interviews for the past six rounds at majors.
When asked if he skipped the post-round chats due to frustration with his performance, McIlroy responded: “No, not really. It’s more a frustration with you guys.”
The Northern Irishman conceded the fiasco surrounding his driver at the PGA Championship was ‘part’ of the reason, but insisted the decision to pass on the interviews was ‘not out of the ordinary’.
McIlroy added: “I feel like I’ve earned the right to do whatever I want to do, yeah.”
The 36-year-old’s tense exchange with the media was the latest chapter in what has quickly become a major to forget.
In his second round at Oakmont, McIlroy hurled a club after he fired a wayward approach shot on the 12th.
Seven holes later and the Northern Irishman inadvertently smashed the tee box with his club.
McIlroy’s frustration on the 17th drew a shocked reaction from Sky Sports commentator Nick Dougherty.
“Oh wow,” Dougherty said.
“Frustration once gain boils over. He’s not himself right now.”
McIlroy is still aiming to recapture the form which saw him complete the career Grand Slam earlier this year.
His victory at the Masters in April ended an 11-year wait for a fifth Major win.
But he followed that triumph up by finished tied for 47th at the PGA Championship last month.
