In February, Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy were at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Getty Images
Augusta, Georgia – Rory McIlroy said Collin Morikawa was right.
But he could have expressed his recent idea of “better” of player media obligations.
McIlroy spoke about Morikawa’s comments at the Players Championship last month in his pre-conference press conference Tuesday after he lost his late lead in Arnold Palmer’s invitational after he didn’t talk to journalists a week ago. Morikawa, after being questioned, said he “had not owe anyone”, which drew criticism from analysts Brandel Chamblee and Paul McGinley and Pro Rocco Mediate, which led to a meaningless response from Morikawa after the second round.
“I just want to add one more thing. After this sentence, I might bite my tongue, but I don’t regret it to Brandel Chamblees, Paul McGinleys, Rocco Mediatiat of to the Rocco Mediates in the world,” Morikava said. “You know, I can be a little harsh if I don’t owe anyone, but I don’t owe anyone.”
“I respect the fans. I thank them so much. I appreciate them. It’s so exciting. It’s just-heard people say that, especially you guys, because I ended the round and I went for 10 minutes, signed for 15 minutes after everyone, and not a single person from the media.
“So let people call me up is – it’s fun. It shows nothing. I mean, look, I know what you guys are saying there. But I’m there. I sign for everyone immediately after the round, whether they want to or not.
McIlroy, especially in the final round of the U.S. Open last June, missed a pair of short putts and won the championship Bryson DeChambeau. The bill led to this exchange between journalists and McIlroy (the problem is italic):
“Rory, Collin Morikawa has encountered some criticism among the players because he said he did not owe the media after doing this in Pinehurst. You obviously have some enthusiasm. Golfers are more sensitive than other professional athletes. I wonder if it’s a fair assessment or an unfair assessment.”
“Well, he’s right,” McIlroy said. “I’m not saying he could have worded a little better, but looking at every other athlete, whether in the NBA or in the NFL, they have to talk to you after the game. We’re not. We’re not. We’re not. This is what the PGA tour wants to include it in their rules and regulations, but as long as that’s it, we can choose that option, we can choose that time, we can choose the time.
Last July, at his first press conference since the U.S. Open, McIlroy said he had no regrets not talking to reporters. He said that reporters were “my least worried.”
Collin Morikawa
go through:
Sean Zak
Morikawa’s comments after the player’s second round also responded from Chamblee and McGinley. Chamblee said Morikava was not a “rejection” to journalists, but a player who spoke to fans, sponsors, PGA Tour and interviews.
“Everyone is adjusted and engaged,” Chamblee said on the golf channel. “Golf is never better. We’re all in. The wallets are high, there’s a feeling, there’s a right, and they don’t have anyone owed anyone. He expressed the feeling that a lot of people doubted too many Tour players.
“It’s not true for everyone. Many of them are great in the media and then give us these interviews. But, that sets dangerous precedents. If he does feel that way, that’s good, that’s his opinion. I have mine. I have his. But I think if he keeps working hard after his loss, because his loss is so, he’ll suffer more. It’s just part of the game.”
McGinley further proposed the idea of ”rights”, calling it “a view of many publics.”
“So it’s a cautious attitude for the players, you know, don’t come out and say something, I don’t owe anyone because it doesn’t sound good,” he said on the golf channel. “Maybe it’s a wrong word choice, but don’t say that.
“It sounds incorrect and it’s not what the public wants to hear because, ultimately, it’s the public that pays a higher price to attend the event. The public is stripped of all the best players because the golf products have been diluted and the media is the product of all of that.
Nick Piastowski is the senior editor of Golf.com and Golf Magazine. In his role, he is responsible for editing, writing and developing stories throughout the golf field. And, when he didn’t write about how to hit golf more directly and directly, the Milwaukee man might be playing games, hitting the ball left, right and short, and then having a cold beer to wash off his score. You can contact him at nick.piastowski@golf.com.
