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Rory McIlroy is Fed Up With Slow Play Warnings, and He Has a Point

Originally posted on Total Apex Sports | By Fahad Hamid | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 10:05 AM ET

Rory McIlroy just about reached his breaking point at the 2025 Irish Open. After being put on the clock for slow play during the opening round, the golf superstar let his frustration be known, and honestly, can you blame him? It seems officials are more interested in punching a clock than using a little bit of common sense, and McIlroy is tired of it.

This isn’t the first time slow play has been a hot topic, but this time, the situation feels particularly absurd. Let’s get into what happened and why McIlroy’s anger is completely justified.

What Happened to McIlroy at the Irish Open?

Picture this: You’re Rory McIlroy, a global sports icon, playing in your home country’s open. The crowd is massive—we’re talking 20,000 people, a sea of fans following your every move. You’ve also got camera crews documenting every swing. Naturally, things are going to move a little slower than for the group playing three holes over with a gallery of about ten people and a squirrel.

But apparently, that logic is too complex for the officials at the K Club. McIlroy’s group, which also included Triston Lawrence and Kristoffer Reitan, was put on the clock early in the round. As if that wasn’t enough, after one official left, another one swooped in to put them on the clock again for the final three holes. The result? A rushed and frustrated McIlroy, who bogeyed two of his last three holes, finished with a less-than-stellar 1-under 71.

“In all honesty, I felt a little rushed out there for the last 12 holes,” McIlroy told reporters. “I feel like it always happens… I don’t think they use sort of common sense in terms of, well, of course we’re going to lose ground because we’re going to have to wait on crowds and wait on the two camera crews that are out there.”

He has a point. It’s like telling a rock star to hurry up their soundcheck while thousands of fans are still filing into the stadium. It just doesn’t make sense.

Why McIlroy’s Frustration is Understandable

Slow play has been a thorn in golf’s side for a while, and McIlroy himself has been criticized for it in the past. Remember the nearly six-hour round at the Open Championship? Yeah, that wasn’t a great look. But this situation is different. This isn’t just about a player taking their sweet time; it’s about officials failing to consider the circus that follows a player of McIlroy’s stature.

The Telegraph’s Jamie Corrigan, who was on the scene, called the decision “pathetic,” noting the “pandemonium” surrounding McIlroy’s group while the rest of the field played in “blessed isolation.” When a player is a walking spectacle, you have to make allowances. It’s a simple concept that seems to have completely eluded the powers that be.

McIlroy even mentioned a similar incident at The Players Championship where he admitted he nearly lost his “s**t” with an official. It’s clear this is a recurring issue that stems from a rigid, by-the-book approach that ignores context. You can’t apply the same generic rules to every group on the course, especially when one group is the main event.

More Than Just a Game of Speed

After his round, still simmering from the on-course drama, McIlroy took a moment to remind everyone of his incredible achievements. In a Q&A session, he flexed his career grand slam, lining up his major trophies and donning the coveted green jacket he won at the Masters. It was a classic power move, a subtle (or not-so-subtle) way of saying, “I’ve earned a little respect here.”

His victory at Augusta National was a monumental moment, breaking an 11-year major drought and placing him in an elite club with legends like Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. He’s only the sixth golfer in history to achieve the career grand slam. After a feat like that, you’d think he’d get a bit more leeway, especially on home turf.

As he looks ahead to the Ryder Cup, McIlroy has made it clear that a win on American soil would make 2025 his “best year” ever. But if officials keep hounding him with stopwatches and ignoring the obvious, they risk rattling one of the sport’s biggest stars right when he needs to be at his best. It’s time for a little common sense to enter the equation, before they push McIlroy from frustrated to furious.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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