Irked McIlroy hits out at media and pace of play after more Oakmont struggles
NOT FEELING IT: Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, reacts after missing a putt on the eighth hole during the third round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Rory McIlroy returned to media duties on Saturday at Oakmont but kept things short and very snappy indeed as he admitted to harbouring frustrations with journalists and said it had been easier to make the US Open cut “when you don't really care if you're here for the weekend or not”.
After another uninspiring round at this year’s third major pushed the Holywood man to 10-over, McIlroy was visibly irked as he discussed in curt detail his decision to skip post-round interviews over the first two days in Pittsburgh and all four rounds at last month’s PGA Championship.
“I feel like I've earned the right to do whatever I want to do,” McIlroy said in an awkward media scrum which lasted all of five minutes and ended with a barb towards the week's pace of play in Pittsburgh.
The 36-year-old who has endured a wholly underwhelming spell after completing the grand slam in April was asked if his decision had anything to do with his on-course travails.
“No, not really. It's more a frustration with you guys,” he replied. In what way? “I don't know. I have been totally available for the last few years, and I'm not saying, maybe not [frustrated with] you guys, but maybe more just the whole thing.”
After declining media after his first two rounds, Rory McIlroy spoke after his third round at the U.S. Open.
— Paul Hodowanic (@PaulHodowanic) June 14, 2025
Here's the full interview, for those interested. Touches on his "pretty average" play, feeling "a little flat," and thoughts on media obligations. pic.twitter.com/ICgqAYnQON
Asked if part of it was down to how issues around how his driver failing a pre-tournament test at the PGA had been reported, McIlroy replied: “Yeah that was a part of it. But it's not as if…like at Augusta I skipped you guys on Thursday, so yeah, again, it's not out of the ordinary. I've done it before. I'm just doing it a little more often.”
McIlroy’s tetchy relations with the sport’s chroniclers has come in a troubled year, with Shane Lowry and Collin Morikawa among those who have also hit out at some media demands place on player. Asked was he trying to force the tour to mandate talking to media, he insisted that wasn’t the case.
“I'm not daring them to do anything,” said McIlroy. “I hope they don't change it because, you know [skipping media] is a nice luxury to have. I'm just pointing out the fact that we have the ability to do it.”
US Open organisers woke Saturday morning to find Oakmont soaked through and made the unusual decision to offer ticket-holders a full refund should the idea of trudging around along muddy fringes of fairways not appeal.
For much of moving day McIlroy looked like a man who may have taken them up on the offer if it had been extended to players. Moving day in Pittsburgh saw the Irishman go mostly in reverse as momentum was as hard to find inside the ropes as in the quagmire outside them.
McIlroy was back in the clubhouse and signing for a 4-over 74 fully 40 minutes before leaders Sam Burns, JJ Spaun and Viktor Hovland — the only trio to still be under par by mid-Saturday afternoon — had begun their third rounds. Tacking the 74 on to the 74 and 72 which preceded it this week meant that for the first time since the 2012 Open Championship, McIlroy had shot three consecutive rounds over par at a major.
His wider search for a groove after Augusta continues to bear little fruit, his tetchy moments during Friday’s round, tomahawking a club away in anger then smashing a tee block with his 3-wood, were not the actions of a man enjoying the moment.
McIlroy had parked the histrionics and found life when he needed it most on Friday evening in western Pennsylvania a brilliant birdie on the the 18th to ensure weekend action. As it turned out, he would make the cut with a shot to spare, the last second-round stragglers returning to a sodden Oakmont course early Saturday morning to complete their rounds after inclement weather had forced them into the clubhouse on Friday night.
According to McIlroy, making the cut had actually proven because he had given up caring. It's funny, like it's much easier being on the cut line when you don't really care if you're here for the weekend or not. (Laughing.) I was sort of thinking, do I really want two more days here or not. So it makes it easier to play better when you're in that mindset."
The bad weather hung over the area all night and it was a lingering rainy start for some of the earlier pairings. McIlroy found himself in familiar territory alongside reigning Open champion Xander Schauffele having gone around Quail Hollow three times with the Californian at last month’s PGA Championship.
There had been some expectation that the most unforgiving test in American golf, which had taken an unholy and heavy toll on some of the game’s best over the first two days, may be more gettable in the damp conditions. But for McIlroy there would be almost no breakthrough.
He bogeyed the 3rd after overshooting the green by just a fraction but this has been a week when any miscalculations led to crooked numbers. He couldn’t buy a put but earned a second bogey on the 9th after taking a penalty for an errant drive.
He would finally find his first birdie of the day after the turn but immediately gave it back with another bogey at 11th, another couple of squares on the scorecard arriving on the 14th and 16th as he moved into double figures over par.
Having gone for it on the drivable par-4 17th, McIlroy found the bunker but jumped into the trap to produce a quite gorgeous escape, his chip finishing within whispering distance for a belated second birdie.
However one of the week’s most frequent failings, a cut drive off the tee which cut too much (sometimes not enough), reappeared on 18 and he’d finish with another bogey. These two extra rounds around Oakmont are probably welcome opportunities to work on such issues with the Open at Portrush fast approaching but McIlroy is not a man used to being this far out of contention on moving day at a major.
Among those actually finding some forward progress was Ryder Cup teammate Robert MacIntyre, the big Scot putting in a blemish-free front nine which included two birdies to push him into the top 10. Collin Morikawa opened with two birdies in his first three, the two-time major winner also looking to push into contention.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler was pushing hard to do likewise but two bogeys offset two birdies in his first eight holes. Much would ultimately depend on how the final five or six groups would fare. With just two major winners among the top 12 on the overnight leaderboard there was still so much golf to be played.
Asked what he was hoping for in Sunday’s final round, McIlroy’s answer was, like the rest of his offerings short and not all that sweet.
“Hopefully a round in under four and a half hours and get out of here,” he said.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
