A heartbreak at Pinehurst saw Rory McIlroy clinch defeat from the jaws of victory. It was a day when LIV Golf fans celebrated the triumph of Bryson DeChambeau over the poster child of the PGA Tour. While everyone was focused on the 2-time U.S. Open champion’s victory, the Irishman faded away into the shadows and from the media as well. McIlroy refused to take interviews after his loss in the major in 2024. In fact, he has been known to avoid such situations that put him in a tough spot. Rors was also one of the very few people who defended Collin Morikawa when the latter skipped the press conference following the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational loss. “We have that option to opt out whenever we want,” he said in favor of the American golfer. But it’s McIlroy who is facing the heat now, with the golf fans accusing him of cheating after he avoided media interaction.

The USGA declared Rory McIlroy’s driver at Quail Hollow ‘non-conforming’. The Irishman had to change his favorite club after the fourth hole of the first round of the 2025 PGA Championship. That had a major effect on his strokeplay as he only managed to hit 4 of the 14 fairways on Thursday. The change in driver and dip in performance raised doubts of foul play among the fans. According to them, the 36-year-old used an illegal driver at Augusta. While he did receive support from Taylor Zarzour & Johnson Wagner, the cheating allegations didn’t go away. As per the latest reports, Rors’ actions after the penultimate round of the 2025 PGA Championship have given the fans more reasons to draw suspicion.

As Tee Times revealed, “Rory McIlroy has declined to speak with media following the third round at the PGA Championship.” McIlroy’s hesitance to comment on the issue has only put him under the spotlight. And everyone could clearly see through it.

The internet was upset that the Irishman didn’t clarify the situation. Perhaps, there is some truth to their accusations. So it didn’t come as a surprise that they started criticizing Rory McIlroy once again.

Silence hurts Rory McIlroy’s reputation more than abysmal strokeplay

Baba Ram Dass said, “The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” It couldn’t have been more true for Rory McIlroy, who has chosen the route of silence. All he has heard since then is accusations of cheating and use of illegal equipment. One of the fans commented, “hiding out bc of his illegal driver.” They believe the Irishman’s silence makes it clear that he was using an illegal driver until the 2025 PGA Championship. All his recent achievements have since been tainted.

McIlroy’s performance has certainly dipped after the driver change. Someone stated, “Its obviously affecting him here. Buddy can’t drive for shit since this.” The Irishman had a horrid time off the tee on Thursday as he only had a 28.57% driving accuracy. The horror show continued in the second round as McIlroy found the fairway only 42.86% of the time.

Before the major began, McIlroy was questioned by the media about the Bryson DeChambeau drama after the ANGC win. He simply responded to that with, “I don’t know what he was expecting. We’re trying to win the Masters. I’m not going to try to be his best mate out there.” That has come back to bite him after the disappointing show at Quail Hollow as one fan wrote, “He doesn’t talk because he’s trying to win a major, right?” McIlroy is 12 strokes away from the man who helped him into the Green Jacket last month, Scottie Scheffler, in the 2025 PGA Championship.

It’s hard to imagine how Rors can describe the interaction with the USGA and the PGA Tour. It got even more difficult after he couldn’t defend himself by showing consistency at Quail Hollow. So, a fan’s statement, “Couldn’t explain the cheating allegations maybe?” doesn’t come as a surprise, as there is not much McIlroy can do to defend the progression of things. Whether the allegations are true or not, we might only see that in the future.

Coming back to the media interaction, McIlroy is known to evade outrageous questions when he is pushed into a corner. We saw that in the Quail Hollow Press Conference preceding the major. When a reporter was pushing the 29-time PGA Tour champion to name the best golfer on the green in Charlotte, he refused to give a response. As another fan pointed out, “He only talks after good rounds. Not the poster boy the pga is looking for. As the Masters champ and now a grand slam winner it’s has a bad look!!” Whether he wins or loses, Rory McIlroy shouldn’t be hesitant to tackle the media as the face of the PGA Tour. Maybe Jay Monahan might have a talk with him about his approach.