Scott Van Pelt Claims Rory McIlroy Has Become 'A Different Dude' Amid His Odd Run With Media
Rory has come across as bitter since winning the Masters, and SVP questions why that is.
Rory McIlroy solidified himself as one of the greatest players in golf history - and the best player of his generation - by winning the Masters and completing the career grand slam in April. Instead of having an expected jovial, playing-with-house-money type attitude in the following weeks, McIlroy has acted more frustrated than ever, with not even a villain complex about him, but a victim complex.
Declining media requests all four days of the PGA Championship, telling media at the U.S. Open that he believes he's earned the right to do whatever he wants, and bizarrely still upset about the report that his driver was deemed non-conforming at the PGA, which is a complete non-story by the way, is truly baffling stuff.
McIlroy has openly discussed how completing the grand slam has presented a new challenge of finding motivation elsewhere, which is completely understandable, but his actions and persona have been odd for the last two months and counting.
Rory McIlroy was reportedly deemed to have a non-conforming driver ahead of the PGA Championship. (Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)
Like anyone else paying any attention to McIlroy since his win at Augusta National, Scott Van Pelt doesn't understand what's going on with the five-time major winner.
"I’m just baffled by what happened," Van Pelt explained on his podcast. "Like what’s going on?
"I, in my life, have never nor will I ever have a monumental accomplishment such as that, like finishing off the career grand slam," he later continued.
"I don’t know what comes afterwards, you wander is it like you don’t have anything to chase or a hill to climb. But that doesn’t explain to me the fact that his resting posture seems pissedd off at everyone, and I’m just baffled by it, because he is such a leader of the tour.
"He has been incredibly accountable, more than anybody, and maybe he’s just reached the point where he’s like, ‘I’m done’."
SVP doesn't quite get Rory's behavior after winning the Masters, which is fair. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images - Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
While SVP acknowledges that McIlroy may be struggling to find that ‘what’s next' in his career, that still doesn't explain the attitude side of things.
"He just seems like he’s mad at everything and everybody and that’s the part I don’t quite get," Van Pelt said.
"The whole LIV thing led to these elevated events and then Jack has an elevated event, and he doesn’t go. He didn’t even call him. After he sat down with him, and they brainstormed how to win at Augusta, and you don’t call Jack.
"That’s poor form, is what it is, and from a guy, in my opinion, is always in immaculate form, has always said things that are well done.
"It’s just odd, odd is the only thing I can say. I don’t know the source of it, and I won’t speculate. It’s suddenly like he’s become a different dude."
McIlroy is teeing it up in this week's Travelers Championship, the final signature event on the PGA Tour schedule for 2025, and did seem more upbeat and confident during his pre-tournament press conference.
Whether that turns into a positive result and him getting back to his old ways in front of the media simply trying to do their job, only time will tell.