Silence, sometimes, can be golden. Or not. In Rory McIlroy’s case, his decision to remain media shy for the entirety of the recent US PGA Championship, through all four rounds at Quail Hollow, came with a myriad of reasons which – finally – he explained ahead of the RBC Canadian Open in Ontario.
Of course, the case of how McIlroy’s TaylorMade driver’s failed characteristic time (CT) test prior to the opening round was leaked, while that of Scottie Scheffler’s failed test wasn’t, proved the primary thorn in the world number two’s side and why he opted to keep his thoughts to himself.
In describing the PGA week as “weird” for a variety of reasons, he provided day-by-day explanations for not talking to any media – written, radio or television – following any round.
Day one. “I didn’t play well the first day, so I wanted to go practice.”
Day two. “We finished late. I wanted to go back and see Poppy before she went to bed.”
Also, that day, the news of his driver failing the CT test broke. “I didn’t really want to speak on that,” he admitted.
Come Saturday, another reason for not talking. “I was supposed to tee off at 8.20 in the morning. I didn’t tee off until almost 2.0 in the afternoon, another late finish, was just tired, wanted to go home.”
Then, Sunday’s final round. Again, quiet.
“I just wanted to get on the plane and go back to Florida. Yeah, look, and also the driver stuff, there was – I was a little pissed off because I knew that Scottie’s driver had failed on Monday, but my name was the one that was leaked. It was supposed to stay confidential. Two members of the media were the ones that leaked it.
“Again, I didn’t want to get up there and say something that I regretted, either, because there’s a lot of people that – I’m trying to protect Scottie. I don’t want to mention his name. I’m trying to protect TaylorMade. I’m trying to protect the USGA, PGA of America, myself. I just didn’t want to get up there and say something that I regretted at the time.
“With Scottie’s stuff, that’s not my information to share. I knew that that had happened, but that’s not on me to share that, and I felt that process is supposed to be kept confidential, and it wasn’t for whatever reason. That’s why I was pretty annoyed at that,” expanded McIlroy on his rationale for keeping away from media, as – under the rules and regulations of the PGA of America and the PGA Tour – he was entitled to do.
He added: “I’ve been beating this drum for a long time. If they want to make it mandatory, that’s fine, but in our rules it says that it’s not, and until the day that that’s maybe written into the regulations, you’re going to have guys skip from time to time, and that’s well within our rights ... just some days you don’t feel like talking.”
McIlroy – a three-time winner on the PGA Tour with his Masters success in April completing the career Grand Slam and joining the AT&T Pebble Beach pro-am and The Players on his season’s roll of honour – is back playing in Canada for the first time since Quail Hollow in a quest for a third Canadian Open title.
His previous two wins, though, came at different venues and, like the majority of the field, the TPC Toronto layout is a new one for this week’s tour stop.
“There’s a little bit of room off the tee, the fairways are quite generous, but if you miss them, the rough is pretty penal. The greens are tricky, undulating, really got to hit it into the right sections,” said McIlroy. “I think it could be a good test by the end of the week if there’s no rain and it firms up a little bit and they can tuck the pins away.”
McIlroy is one of three Irish players in the field in Toronto ahead of next week’s US Open at Oakmont, with Shane Lowry – the third best ranked player in the field after McIlroy and Ludvig Aberg based off the world rankings – and Séamus Power also chasing the title which was won last year by Robert MacIntyre.
Lowdown
Purse: $9.8 million/€8.65 million ($1.76 million to the winner/€1.55 million).
Where: Caledon, Ontario.
The course: TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) – 7,389 yards, par 70 – is designed by Ian Andrew and is playing host to the tournament for the first time after undergoing significant renovation through 2023 and 2024 to prepare for the PGA Tour event. The course is a public facility. It is seen as a second shot golf course with an emphasis on approach play to greens well protected by strategic bunkering.
The field: No Scottie Scheffler this week as he rests up ahead of next week’s US Open so it is Rory McIlroy’s turn to sprinkle the star dust in his quest for a third Canadian Open title. McIlroy and Ryder Cup team-mate Ludvig Aberg are the only two players from the world’s top-10 in the field as many take a break ahead of Oakmont.
Quote-Unquote: “The last two weeks have been pretty good for me, I’m starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s not been kind of easy sailing for me this year. It’s been a little bit of trying to fix certain things. But now I feel like we’re on the right path and the game’s starting to kind of merge together.” – defending champion Robert MacIntyre on turning his game around. The Scot is playing for the fifth straight week on tour and has four top-10s so far this season.
Irish in the field: McIlroy is grouped with Aberg and Luke Clanton, making his pro debut, as part of the early wave (off the 10th, 12.40pm Irish time); Shane Lowry is in a three-ball with MacIntyre and Corey Conners, the top ranked Canadian off the world rankings (off the 1st at 5.55pm Irish time); while Séamus Power is grouped with Peter Malnati and Rafael Campos (off the 1st at 6.06pm). Aside from his tournament ambitions, Power will also be chasing one of three spots available for those not already exempt for the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush.
Betting: McIlroy is looking for a third win at the tournament (at a third different venue) and, playing for the first time since the US PGA, is market leader at 4-1 with Aberg next at 12-1 and Shane Lowry alongside Corey Conners at 20s. However, better value may lie elsewhere: Nick Taylor is coming off a top-5 at the Memorial and looks decently priced at 40-1 each-way, while Erik van Rooyen’s performance in the US Open qualifying would suggest the Springbok has found some form and is worth a look each-way at 80-1.
On TV: Live on Sky Sports (early round coverage from 5pm).
