Should It Be Mandatory For Pro Golfers To Speak To The Media After A Round?

"Every other athlete, whether it be in the NBA, NFL, they’re obligated to speak to you guys after a game. We’re not,” McIlroy told reporters ahead of this year's Masters.

It's clear where the Northern Irishman stands on what is becoming a growing debate in men's professional golf as to whether the players should have to speak to the media immediately after their rounds.

Just a few weeks ago, Collin Morikawa left the Arnold Palmer Invitational in a hurry, opting against speaking to the media after he missed out on winning in the late stages.

The two-time Major winner defended his decision in the build-up to The Players Championship, where he told reporters he was "just p*****" and "didn't want to talk to anyone". Morikawa added that he didn't "owe anyone anything", a comment that hasn't gone down well with some members of the press.

It is not currently compulsory for players to speak to the press, which means they will often leave the course without offering their comments. Last year, McIlroy declined to speak to the media after his agonizing late collapse at the US Open. And yesterday, Shane Lowry had his say on the matter after his own frustrating finish.

"I can’t be coming to talk to you guys straightaway. It shouldn’t be happening. I don’t agree with it," Lowry said after bogeying the last two holes. "Tennis players have to talk to the media, but they have a half-an-hour or hour before they have to do it.

"I feel like we should have the same thing. That’s how I feel. I’m probably going to say something stupid. I probably already have said something stupid because I’m p***** off right now. I’m just going to leave, OK?"

The message from McIlroy to the press is is clear: get used to it. "As long as that’s not the case and we have that option to opt out whenever we want," he said, referring to the fact don't currently have to speak to the press, "expect guys to do that from time to time."

For what it's worth, here's what our writers think.

Michael Weston

The journalist in me says players should have to suck it up and spend just a few minutes post round sharing their thoughts.

These players are competing for millions of dollars every week, and I don't think it's a good look to walk off without speaking to the media.

Morikawa might feel like he doesn't "owe anyone anything", but that's a naive comment, at best.

However, I can understand a player not wanting to describe how they feel after blowing a lead, just as I can empathize with a football coach being asked to explain a poor performance a few minutes after losing a championship match.

Lowry's suggestion that players should be given half-an-hour to collect themselves after a round sounds like a good idea, but would they really hang around for that long? Unlikely.

Good reporters aren't going to struggle to write pieces without post-round quotes, although there are times when they are very important.

I think if I was a professional golfer, I'd use the post-round interview - however difficult it has the potential to be - as a way of drawing a line under things, especially if I'd suffered a bad day at the office.

Easier said than done, though, I suppose.

Elliott Heath

McIlroy is right that players don’t currently have to speak to the media, but I think they should. There needs to be a rule introduced from the tours and the Major governing bodies that ensures all players are required to speak to the media if requested or near the lead of the tournament.

It happens in pretty much every sport and helps journalists and fans get context on what the athlete was thinking during play, why they made certain decisions and how they felt in certain moments.

Justin Thomas put it well in a letter to players earlier this year, and with all the new SSG and Saudi PIF money in the game there is no reason why tour pros should be able to decline interviews.

I agree with Michael that it is also a chance for players to draw a line under their day after a poor performance or near-miss.

Jonny Leighfield

I don't think players should have to speak to the media after a round, but it's mutually beneficial that they regularly do if given the option. I still completely sympthatize with McIlroy for walking away after his US Open heartbreak - all he was inevitably going to be subjected to was questions phrased in various forms of "how on earth did you manage to blow that?" - and that seems to be where this subject has stemmed from. I said it at the time and I maintain the belief still that McIlroy had every right to just get out of there and look after himself.

Where it becomes a bit more of a grey area is if players start behaving like Collin Morikawa, who threw away his chances of winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational, declined to do interviews and then started lashing out at the media at his next opportunity.

I have no problem with golfers choosing to decline interviews in highly-emotional situations every so often, but they have to recognize why engaging with the media is a huge positive overall.

Shane Lowry suggested that maybe leaving interviews until half an hour after a round is the way to go, just to give players time to decompress. If that was an option, I'd be completely for that. Another way to go is perhaps allowing players X number of declines a season, just to give some leeway.

But I don't think players should be contractually obliged to do interviews if they don't want to. At least not every single time. There are so many examples of that scenario leading to unnecessary opposition - including NFL player, Marshawn Lynch's famous "I'm just here so I don't get fined" interview in the build-up to Superb Bowl XLIX - plus the freedom of speaking to reporters when golfers want usually leads to more open conversations.

Matt Cradock

I can see both sides when it comes to players speaking to media. At the end of the day, they are human and, after a poor round, the last thing they want to do is have a microphone shoved in their face.

However, professional golfers are in the public eye and, quite often, the best interviews have come from negative moments. If you look at any sport, those involved will come under scrutiny and, when it comes to viewer experience, just a minute of their time can justify and explain their actions.

I understood why McIlroy skipped media duties after his US Open heartbreak in 2024, but if players continue to do so then when does it become justifiable and the norm?

Thomas recently spoke about urging PGA Tour players to give the media more access and engagement to improve the fan experience, and that falls under the category of post-round interviews, no matter the result.