McIlroy 'annoyed' by driver story 'leak' at US PGA

Rory McIlroy says master golfers are "well wrong our rights" to skip media duties arsenic he admitted he was near "annoyed" by a communicative regarding his instrumentality astatine past month's US PGA Championship.

The Masters champion said a operation of tiredness, mediocre play, wanting to spot his girl and reports of his driver failing a legality test contributed to his determination not to speak to reporters aft each of his 4 rounds astatine nan year's 2nd major.

After winning astatine Quail Hollow Scottie Scheffler revealed his driver had besides been deemed non-conforming successful pre-tournament tests carried retired by nan United States Golf Association (USGA), but McIlroy was unimpressed that his sanction - and not nan American's - was reported by nan media during nan Northern Irishman's 2nd round.

"It was expected to enactment confidential," said McIlroy, speaking to reporters for nan first clip since that arena astatine this week's Canadian Open.

"Two members of nan media were nan ones that leaked it. I didn't want to get up location and opportunity thing that I regretted either because there's a batch of group that I'm trying to protect: Scottie, I don't want to mention his name, I'm trying to protect TaylorMade [the manufacturer], nan USGA, nan PGA of America, myself.

The five-time awesome victor added: "With Scottie's stuff, that's not my accusation to share. I knew that that had happened, but that's not connected maine to stock that.

"That process is expected to beryllium kept confidential and it wasn't for immoderate logic truthful that's why I was beautiful irritated astatine that."

McIlroy said that nan narration betwixt players and nan media is simply a "two-way street", adding that players will proceed to move down requests to speak arsenic agelong arsenic it is not mandatory.

"From a work standpoint, I understand, but if we each wanted to, we could each bypass you guys and we could conscionable spell connected this [our phones] and spell connected societal media and we could talk astir our information and do it our ain way," said nan 36-year-old.

"We understand that's not perfect for you guys and there's a bigger move astatine play here. I talk to nan media a batch and I deliberation location should beryllium an knowing that this is simply a two-way street.

"We understand nan use that comes from you being present and giving america nan platform.

"But I've been beating this drum for a agelong time. If they [golf officials] want to make it mandatory [to speak to nan media] that's fine, but successful our rules it says it's not and until nan time erstwhile it's possibly written into regulations, you're going to person guys skip from clip to clip and that's good wrong our rights."

McIlroy returns to action astatine TPC Toronto this week, aft skipping nan Charles Schwab Challenge and Memorial Tournament, arsenic he ramps up his preparations for adjacent week's US Open.

Having realised his lifelong ambition by clinching nan profession Grand Slam astatine nan Masters successful April, he vanished associated seventh astatine nan Truist Championship earlier a disappointing stock of 47th astatine nan US PGA astatine Quail Hollow, wherever he has won 4 times.

With an Open Championship connected location ungraded astatine Royal Portrush successful July and an distant Ryder Cup successful September, he hopes to recapture his champion shape heading into nan 2nd half of nan season.

"I don't cognize if I'm chasing anything," said nan world number two

"I would surely opportunity nan past fewer weeks, I've had a mates of weeks off, and going and grinding connected nan scope for 3 aliases 4 hours each time is simply a small tougher than it utilized to be.

"You person this arena successful your life that you've worked towards and it happens, sometimes it's difficult to find nan information to get backmost connected nan equine and spell again.

"The past 2 weeks person been bully for maine arsenic a reset, to fig retired wherever I'm astatine successful my ain head, what I want to do, wherever I want to play and reset immoderate goals. I've had a beautiful bully first half of nan play and I want to person a bully 2nd half too."

Having won nan Canadian Open successful 2019 and 2022, McIlroy originates his bid for a 3rd title astatine 12:40 BST connected Thursday.