Rory McIlroy Continues To Duck Media After Shaky U.S. Open Start

For a guy who constantly talks about "growing the game of golf," Rory McIlroy sure doesn't seem that interested in … growing the game of golf. One of the most important factors for growing a sport is the engagement of the stars who play the game. But McIlroy, who has consistently ducked the media since winning The Masters in April (and before that, too), continued the trend Thursday.

McIlroy started the U.S. Open at Oakmont on a positive note, making back-to-back birdies on his second and third holes of the day. He strung together six pars after that, shooting a very strong 33 on the front nine at a very difficult golf course. 

But the wheels fell off on the back nine as the PGA Tour superstar carded four bogeys and a double-bogey on his way to a 41 over his final nine holes. That put McIlroy at +4 for the tournament, basically in the middle-of-the-pack. Honestly, his overall 74 round wasn't that bad. It was slightly better than the scoring average of all players in the morning wave. 

PGA Tour superstar Rory McIlroy refused to speak to the media after shooting a 74 during the first round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont.

(Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)

However, instead of speaking to the media and talking about his round, McIlroy quickly bailed and spoke to no one. The Peacock broadcast reported that McIlroy declined requests to speak with all media members, including a pool reporter. That's highly unusual for a player of McIlroy's caliber because fans want to hear him speak. 

But he doesn't seem to care. And, to be honest, I've lost a lot of respect for McIlroy for his childish behavior. It's easy to talk to the media when you're completing a career Grand Slam, but it's hard to do after a tough round. That's part of the job, though. 

McIlroy has made millions and millions of dollars playing on the PGA Tour. While he's not required to speak to the media, he should. After Bryson DeChambeau lost The Masters to McIlroy in heartbreaking fashion, he sat down for an interview. DeChambeau finished runner-up at the PGA Championship, and said he was disappointed. Of course he was disappointed, he just failed to win a major golf tournament. 

But guess what he did? He sat down for an interview. Even CBS golf reporter Amanda Balionis acknowledged that fact: "We appreciate the time, you don't have to take the time, so we really appreciate it." McIlroy refused to speak with the media after all four rounds of the PGA Championship. 

Balionois later posted photos on Instagram of her speaking with both DeChambeau and Jon Rahm – who had a far more disappointing finish than DeChambeau – and again noted that they CHOSE to speak with her. 

"Appreciate these two for taking the time to talk after a gutting loss," Balionis wrote of DeChambeau and Rahm. "Simply a reminder that no one is obligated to talk, it's a choice. And to bring us in after coming so close to a career accomplishment is awesome for the viewer." 

Yes, Amanda, I couldn't agree more. It's awesome for the fans. But you know who doesn't seem to care about the fans? Rory McIlroy.