“He will regret it if he carries on touring down the media after he loses because he’s good, he’s going to have many more wins too, but it’s just part of the game.” After snubbing the media, Collin Morikawa got onto the radar of senior and renowned golf journalists. Earlier this season, Morikawa exclaimed that he “didn’t owe anyone anything” when asked about providing interviews. Media promos and bites have long been an essential in bridging the gap between fans and the golfers.
Despite the criticism, Rory McIlroy has taken Morikawa’s side on the criticized move. During the recent press conference, when asked about Morikawa’s media move, the Northern Irishman acknowledged similar incidents from other sports. He said, “Whether that’s something that the PGA TOUR looks to in terms of putting that into their rules and regulations, but as long as that’s not the case and we have that option to opt-out whenever we want, expect guys to do that from time to time.” Since March first week, when the snubbing incident took place, it was the first time there has been a supporter.
Well, despite the two prominent names having the same mindset, the golf world isn’t aligned. Recently, at the Dan On Golf Podcast, along with host Dan Rapaport, Alex Myers, senior writer at Golf Digest, joined the panel. After the video of McIlory’s take on the incident was shared, Myers soon laid out his thoughts. He said, “I still think it’s kind of ridiculous, especially you know when Justin Thomas sent out that memo recently to the players we should do more interviews, we should get our product out there, we should get our personalities out there. With the 2025 schedule, J.T. pointed out making the tour a better product through mid-round interviews, citing the example of the NFL. With the proposal, no objection or disagreement came out. Now, McIlroy, expecting “guys to do that from time to time,” has left the panel questioning.
Further on Morikawa and McIlroy, the writer pointed out an example from the history books. Myers said, “I got to say one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen covering tournaments was the 2006 US Open, Phil Mickelson loses the most gut-wrenching at Wingfoot that you could ever lose, and he goes out there and talks ‘I’m such an idiot.’” Mickelson in 2006 shot three rounds of 70-73-69 to stay in the lead with Kenneth Ferrie, but he lost by one stroke after the miserable decisions on the final hole. He still gave the interview, saying, “I just can’t believe I did that. I’m such an idiot.”
His acceptance of the loss was widely praised. And with similar expectations, the panel, especially Myers, wanted them to take the lesson on dealing with losses. Well, it is not just Myers, but other journalists have also shared similar examples to learn from.
Collin Morikawa advised to take lessons from the G.O.A.T.
In the early 1900s, coverage came from newspaper reporters with legends like Harry Vardon and Bobby Jones often quoted in articles. Then, televised Masters brought the rise of golf interviews as we understand them today. Jump to 2025, with Alex Myers and Dan Rapaport, another platform analyzed the situation. During the episode of the Golf Channel on YouTube, Todd Lewis and Ryan Lavner talked about Morikawa. Lewis said that Tiger Woods has been an exceptional example in dealing with the situation.
He recalled his memory, saying, “You and I have covered Tiger Woods in the height of his powers and when he was shooting 80s on the PGA Tour. I have so much respect for Tiger as a player, but also because of his position with the media. He showed up at the tournament, he always had a pre-tournament press conference, and 99.5% of the time, whether he shot 65, 75, or when he was close to 85, he talked to the media.” Then, in 2010, Woods held a special press conference where he apologized for his actions and addressed the media’s questions about his personal life. The golfer has respected the procedure for the sport, and Morikawa was also advised to learn from him.
These mixed stances on snubbing are still being understood by the media and golfers. As a fan, what are your thoughts on it? What do you support? Share with us in the comments below.
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