Rory McIlroy Continues To Skip Media... And It's Not A Good Look

It's now two months since Rory McIlroy's sensational Masters triumph, where the Northern Irishman completed a rollercoaster final day to defeat Justin Rose with a birdie on the first playoff hole.

McIlroy's stock was at an all-time high after achieving his dream of becoming just the sixth man to complete golf's career grand slam, and the memories made from his win will last a lifetime.

The World No.2 took his third trophy of the year and looked like the man to beat once again after two years of Scottie Scheffler domination - but just eight weeks later it's remarkable how things have turned around.

On the course, McIlroy has understandably struggled and admitted this week that he doesn't really know what his new goals are, while also revealing that it's tough to find motivation.

That's very fair after finally winning at Augusta on his 11th attempt at joining golf's most exclusive club.

Scottie Scheffler is firmly back atop the golfing world after winning three of his last four tournaments, including at the PGA Championship, but it's off the course where things are seeming a little off for McIlroy.

He skipped media all four days at the PGA Championship after a leak that his driver failed a USGA test, and his explanation for declining to speak to the media was fairly understandable.

Over the course of the four days, his reasons for not speaking to the press were that he didn't want to say anything regarding the driver for a number of reasons, he wanted to get home to see his daughter before she went to bed and that sometimes he just doesn't want to talk.

They're all fair excuses, and to his credit he spoke after both of his rounds at the RBC Canadian Open last week - where he missed the cut by some distance.

But we're back to where we were at the PGA Championship, with the Northern Irishman offering no quotes after his inward 41 on Thursday at Oakmont to sign for a four-over-par 74.

He wouldn't have been grilled by reporters, he would have simply been asked how he thought the course played, how he felt his round went and what he's looking to change for day two.

They would have been good and relevant quotes to add to articles and news reports to offer some context about the opening round of one of the game's biggest stars in one of the biggest events of the year.

It would take him all of five minutes, and he's always been so great with the press that it feels rather out of character.

It's certainly not a good look, and it's worrying that this is becoming more and more common.

He has also been more stand-offish with reporters this year. At the PGA Championship, he was asked a hypothetical question of what part of another player's game he'd like.

"I wouldn't trade," he said. After a follow-up question on if he was forced to, he said: "But I'm not." A third question then came in on if he admires anyone else's game? "I'm focused on my game," he said.

The reporter in question had asked this to all of the big names and they gave some fascinating responses. McIlroy, for some reason, did not want to engage.

It happened again this week when asked about what driver he had in play at Oakmont. "A TaylorMade," was his answer. On which model? "I mean, come out and watch me hit balls, and you'll see," he responded.

It wouldn't have been hard for him to have said it was the Qi10 driver, the same model he won The Masters with before it failed a very run-of-the-mill USGA test, which Scheffler was very happy to speak about after his driver also failed at the PGA Championship.

I noticed this while at Augusta earlier this year, where he was asked during the tournament how he felt about Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson all picking him to win the Green Jacket.

I expected a nice, thoughtful answer about how honored he is to hear that but at the end of the day it means nothing and he's focused on his golf.

"They are getting old," he simply said.

He was asked about this very question in his winner's press conference, where the mood was obviously much different, and his answer was great.

"It's tough. You know, you've had Jack, Gary, Tom, Tiger, you name it, come through here, and all say that I'll win the Masters one day. That's a hard load to carry, especially -- it is. It really is," he said.

"You know, these are idols of mine, and look, it's very flattering that they all come up here and they believe in me and they believe in my abilities to be able to win this tournament and, you know, achieve the Grand Slam and all that.

"But it doesn't help, you know. I wish they didn't say it.

"But, you know, I think as well, as the years have went on, I've just become more accustomed to the noise that sort of surrounds my whole Masters week and I've become a little more comfortable with it."

McIlroy was his open and honest best in the Press Building on Sunday evening at Augusta, but he hasn't really been seen since.

He appears to have had a change of media strategy this year, which is very understandable after years of answering questions about LIV Golf, the future of the PGA Tour and global game in general. He was clearly fed up of being the unofficial PGA Tour spokesperson and I completely get why.

But not talking to the press, on a fairly consistent basis so far this year, just isn't a good look. After his stock being at an all-time high just two months ago, the European great is being critizised by some established names in the golf media space - and again, rightly so.

Normal Sport's Kyle Porter, formerly of CBS Sports, said his decision to decline media at the PGA Championship was "both bizarre and deserves criticism," while Chris Solomon of No Laying Up yesterday said that it "feels like Rory is losing fans on a weekly basis" due to his lack of engagement with the media.

Sure, he shot 74 on Thursday with a poor back nine but Patrick Reed gave a good amount of time despite triple-bogeying his final hole.

McIlroy has pointed out on multiple occasions this year that there is no rule that states he must speak to reporters, so until that day comes we should probably get used to hearing from him less and less.

It's a shame as he is one of the game's best talkers who always has some fascinating stories and takes on his own game, his career so far and all sorts of other topics.

As Bryson DeChambeau becomes more and more open with the media, McIlroy is bizarrely going the other way.

It's a bad look for sure, and it's a loss for us all.