Jack Nicklaus gives verdict on golfers refusing to speak to the media after Rory McIlroy’s recent stance
The Memorial Tournament gets underway this week minus Rory McIlroy and Jack Nicklaus has been giving his verdict on the Northern Irishman’s recent ignoring of the media.
McIlroy opted not to speak to the press at the PGA Championship at all over the four days, with potential questions over his driver being taken off him top of the agenda.
Since then, McIlroy has decided not to play in the Memorial, prompting further questions from fans over his commitment.
Of course, McIlroy has also said this year that the players are not obliged to speak to the press, backing up Collin Morikawa’s stance earlier in the year.
And now, the legendary Jack Nicklaus has given his verdict on the situation.
Jack Nicklaus says if Rory McIlroy and others should be speaking to the media or not
Jack Nicklaus has been speaking to the media ahead of The Memorial Tournament getting underway and was asked a number of questions, including about players having an obligation to speak to the media.
However, in addressing McIlroy in particular, Nicklaus refused to be drawn and instead, explained how he sees things.
“I’m not going to talk for Rory or anybody else, I’ll talk for myself,” Nicklaus said.
“I’ve always felt that you guys have a job to do, and gals, and for you to do your job you need to talk to me. And whether I played well or whether I played poorly, if you still want to talk to me, I’ll talk to you. And I always have.”
Jack Nicklaus gives verdict on Rory McIlroy’s Masters win
While McIlroy is not playing at Muirfield Village this week, that doesn’t mean Nicklaus holds any sort of grudge against him.
In fact, when quizzed on how impressed he was with McIlroy’s recent Masters win, Nicklaus was full of praise for the Northern Irishman.
“Well, you know, I don’t know whether he was going to win or not. After the Masters, I dropped him a note, and I told him, I don’t think anybody’s won by having four double bogeys. And I said, but that just showed me how much talent you have to overcome that to win and how you played some unbelievably spectacular shots, such as the iron at 7 that he hit over the tree that actually hit the tree. The phenomenal iron he hit at 15, the shot he hit at 17. Then, of course, to miss that little short putt at 18 on a pitch-out on his second shot with a wedge, which was not very good. But he played some bad shots. The shot he hit at 13, I can’t believe,” Nicklaus continued.
“But anyway, you know, I was very happy for him. It was a great win, and it got the monkey off his back. And to me, the monkey was not the Grand Slam. The monkey was the Masters. Now, the Grand Slam was a product of winning the Masters. If you ask him which was more important, I think he would have to say the Masters. That’s because it was.”
Asked further on if he knew McIlroy wouldn’t be attending this week’s event, Nicklaus was coy on the subject.
“I was sort of aware of it about the middle of last week. Yeah, it surprised me. But, you know, guys have got schedules and got things they do. And, you know, I haven’t talked to him for him to tell me why or why not. It’s just his call. I made a lot of calls that I had to make when I played to play or not play, and sometimes it wasn’t as popular as people thought it was. But, you know, sometimes you have to make those calls,”, Nicklaus admitted.
“I don’t hold anything against Rory for that. He did what he likes to play. I know he likes to play so many in a row. He likes to play the week before a U.S. Open. And so he, that’s what he’s doing. So, you know, I really don’t have a comment on it. It’s very difficult, very difficult. I mean, I’m a big Rory fan, I always have been. I’m sure that I will remain that way. I just, I was a little surprised, yes.”
With no Rory this week, the likes of Scottie Scheffler and more will be even more confident of a win.