Dan Patrick explains why he thinks Rory McIlroy should have made himself available to the media following his loss at the US Open
Rory mooy released a statement yesterday and uh he said yesterday was a tough day probably the toughest I’ve had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer firstly I’d like to congratulate Bryson he is a worthy Champion exactly what professional golf needs right now I think we can all agree on that as I reflect on my week I Ru a few things over the course of the tournament mostly the two Miss putts on 16 and 18 on the final day but as I always try to do I look at the positives of the week that far outweigh the negatives as I said at the start of the tournament I feel closer to winning my next major championship than I ever have the one word that I would describe my career is resilient I’ve shown my resilience over and over again in the last 17 years and I will again I’m going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defense of the Genesis Scottish open and the open at Royal tro okay um he said see you in Scotland first of all nice that he got in the uh sponsorship plug for the Scottish open the Genesis Scottish open also Rue I haven’t had that in a sports statement I don’t think in a while uh I Ru a few things over the course of the tournament um yeah I just wish that maybe he did a two or three Question Interview with NBC and and then you go I I understand and maybe this because I was worried also if he did maybe two or three questions right after he lost then the next tournament he’s not going to be answering questions because he’ll say hey I answered those with NBC after the loss I’m I’m guessing the Scottish open is going to be pretty interesting with his press conference because I mean he wears his emotions on his sleeve I think he has carried the weight of the PGA tour and like willingly carried the weight against the Liv tour being the face of the PGA Tour Tiger’s too old you know and and he’s not playing every day every week big tournaments uh he only plays a couple of the majors so Rory has to be front and center you know it’s not Justin Thomas or Jordan spe it’s Rory and I think it took a toll on him I think they our golf fans that looked at the final round of PJ tour versus Liv G good vers versus evil it was Rory it was Bryson and Bryson shined personality came through he embraced the crowd he had fun with it he ended up winning didn’t want to leave signing autographs doing interviews all of that meanwhile that’s Rory but Rory got in his car left got in his plane and flew home I would like to have seen him do a little bit of an interview there that’s all because we’re in the content business that’s content it’s tough you got paid $2 million I need you there I need you to say something there and I think because the media likes him I think he’s genuinely well-liked that may be getting a hall pass on this and look I know it’s not the end of the world but I I just start to finish you know it didn’t finish the way you wanted it it’s heartbreaking you give me two answers on that just let us know now what was it like in the scores tent as you watch Bryson with that last putt I mean you’re paid to be a professional you’ve had a lot of lows not as many highs since you won your last major and that’s been a decade ago but I think you got to I think you got to be front and center at least with NBC broadcast partner and you have to you have to give us something that closes up your round and it might not be great might just be kind of a perfunctory uh you know look congratulations to Bryson like he didn’t stay around to congratulate him I don’t know they’re just little things that I and I do like him I I think he’s a great interview I just um getting in your car and leaving I don’t know I think most most of the time we we ask our athletes and they they do you know acquest to it and they answer those questions it’s not easy I you know I felt I felt bad for him but then I just I wondered could you have done something then people are going to be even more sympathetic to you and then it felt like there were some people like me who said well wait a minute here come on answer your question and answer a couple of questions here so he releases his statement I’m guessing the Scottish open he’ll have a lot of things to say about it and maybe needed time we have coaches go and players go right into a press conference after a tough la emotional loss and they sometimes regret what they say in those moments you know that cooling off period and maybe that’s what he he needed because he might have said something might have been really emotional emotionally fragile know he was getting a divorce now reconciling with his wife it’s Father’s Day you got your daughter at home I I understand all of these things and I factored all of those things in I just think Rory being the professional that he is should have done that interview let’s it and not the end of the world and and it shouldn’t take away from what Bryson did and hopefully it doesn’t but I look forward to hearing his thoughts about that because we invest in you when you win we win when you lose we lose I mean that’s what fans do if that’s your that’s your team or that’s your guy the high highest of highs lowest of lows it’s painful and as I said yesterday I felt horrible asking Bill Buckner questions about the ball going through his legs 86 World Series terrible and I felt like I was piling on but you know what I I had so much more respect for him and stayed in touch with him until he died like I really really respected him even when they won the World Series we had him on afterwards he said hey this isn’t you know I’m coming on I’m not I’m not doing any interviews I didn’t win the World Series I said I wanted you to celebrate this or I wanted people to move on from you because people were brutal to him he moved to Star Idaho he said he had to get away because what kids were saying to his son uh Mitch Williams going in there the locker room he gave up the home run to Joe Carter and he’s you know they’re all there everybody’s there and you could see I mean it’s crushing crushing but they answer the questions Dennis Eckersley gave up the home run to KK Gibson crushing but that’s that goes along with the territory I’m not asking this of a high school player even college players but when you get to the pros you get paid you get paid to answer questions everybody loves it when you win I’ll sit here and talk forever when you lose like Phil Michelson lost the US Open in dramatic fashion got answer the questions which he did it’s tough it’s tough but that’s part of being a professional yes Marvin Chris Weber even talked after calling a timeout against North Carolina yeah he went up there and that’s got to be tough like you just said a college kid going up there and talking after that type of loss yeah yeah and Chris Weber let down a team it was a terrible mistake but he let down a group of people and you always you always say I know there’s a team around golfers but you are an island you’re an individual yeah well you know I I hope that he gets a chance to be in position to win another major but we’re all going to feel the same way I don’t know how he can’t feel the same way final day final round back nine lead Two Shots five to play par out I win the US Open Father’s Day yeah PA people are making a joke to lighthearted it’s classic it’s the IR wish goodbye Rory macaron yeah I’m well well versed in that nailed it nailed it yeah
7 Comments
Running off yesterday looked more weak than resilient.
I don't hold it against him. Considering it's been 10 years since he won a major this loss was extremely difficult. Answering a couple of questions would have been good but I didn't think anything about it when he declined an interview.
tough day for Rors…easy to sit back and blab, like I am doing now…tough, but I think he should have toughed it out, answer a few hard questions, and then jumped on his private jet where he had a cold one waiting for him.
I started to not like Rory back when he was complaining about LIV. White people complaining about golfing, not getting any sympathy from me
Dear Dan Patrick, we've already seen one PGA golfer 🏌 commit suicide this year. Rory is going through mental struggles and he owes nothing to you or the media 📺 🎤 ⛳
So, is it more disappointing to finish second or 24th?
Rory had a choice and he chose not to meet with the media after his round. That's his prerogative. And, because of that choice, he also must face the consequences, which includes Dan and other media members commenting on the topic.