Rory McIlroy gets brutally honest on post-tournament media access debate

“Look, every other athlete, whether it be in the NBA or NFL, they’re obligated to speak to [the media] after a game. We’re not. Whether that’s something 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.”

McIlroy and two-time major champion Collin Morikawa have been the faces of this debate. After losing the US Open at Pinehurst last year, McIlroy skipped out on media, leaving before Bryson DeChambeau accepted the trophy. Morkiawa re-ignited this debate at The Players Championship last month.

Morikawa skipped the media after losing the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The next week, he responded to comments from former pros who bashed his decision. And he was asked about that again at The Masters.

Rory McIlroy is not the only player skipping on media

Morikawa said at The Players that the golfers do not owe the media anything. He was asked about it on Tuesday. “There needs to be a balance and an ebb and flow between everything. I do want to be here for you guys. But here’s the thing, I’ve been in the top five in the world before, and people don’t come up to me and ask me questions. You guys can’t just ask me when I play well. You should be asking the top ten players, every single week and every single day, and just document it.”

Morikawa and McIlroy are not wrong. The players do not owe the media anything, and they often flock to the players at their lowest. Despite the changing media market that has players on YouTube every week, there are still writers and television pundits looking for answers to the day’s questions.

The McIlroy and Morikawa saga may have started Masters week but it will not be a dark cloud all week. Both players have a great chance to win this tournament and should be speaking to the media all week.