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Rory said he earned the right to skip media. Has he earned the fallout?

Rory said he earned the right to skip media. Has he earned the fallout?

Entitlement is a bad PR strategy

Gail Sideman
June 19, 2025

Parents of athletes, school administrators, fans and business owners: July 1 is National NIL Day. Give athletes the tools and opportunity to learn and earn with their name, image and likeness. For more information, contact me at [email protected]. 🌟 — gail

Rory McIlroy is PO’ed at the media—or everyone.

We’re not exactly sure.

Who or what set him off since he won the Masters earlier this year?

Whatever it was, Rory has delivered some puzzling performances on and off the golf course lately.

McIlroy, one of the most popular golfers in the world, built his reputation and a good chunk of his off-the-course publicity by being open with reporters. Until recently, he rarely passed up a chance to speak with the media.

On Sunday, the multi-major winner told reporters covering the U.S. Open, “I feel like I’ve earned the right to do whatever I want to do, yeah,” when asked why he’d been ditching media availability.

That quote says a lot, whether you’re a PR geek like me or not.

Is Rory ticked that the media called him out when his driver failed a test at the PGA Championship? Is it because his play hasn’t met expectations since the Masters?

Rory McIlroy’s holier-than-thou comment at the U.S. Open turned up the volume on a publicity problem.

It doesn’t matter. When you don’t show up, you give the green light for the rest of us to guess why. Especially when you’ve not only accommodated media but been outspoken about your sport. And the same media that you meet with silence today? They’ve helped share your thoughts when you wanted to be heard.

Silence says a lot. And when you follow the silence by saying you’re so big you can do what you want … whew. That’s like telling the owner of a small company you don’t have time for him because your attention is better spent with a Fortune 500 CEO.

All this, when the media’s been fair with Rory.

He can probably thank the media for not blowing up his apparent tantrum when he “chucked his club and smashed a tee marker” (Golf Magazine) during the U.S. Open. Being generous and direct with reporters through the years likely helped muffle that coverage.

Even Tiger Woods took heat when he stabbed drivers in frustration or spewed words NSFW after bad shots. But he didn’t skip pressers. He took the PR hits and moved on.

When you no-show—or show up with an attitude—you get …

It’s another reminder that when you skip pressers or grouse when you do, the media will run with what’s in front of them. From a PR standpoint, silence doesn’t protect you. It invites speculation. Amp the outcome when you add arrogance.

What can you do to avoid being labeled a media pill?

▶️ Don’t blame reporters for your ills. They’re doing their job when they ask pointed questions.

▶️ You never earn the right to ignore what’s required of others in your organization. If you do, you should know what’s coming. And you’ll like it less.

▶️ Speak, or someone will speak for you. (That goes for solos and pros.)

▶️ Bank goodwill with the media and public. If you do something dumb, you might get the benefit of the doubt. For a while, anyway.

Words, used or withheld, shape a story. Be sure you’re the one speaking yours.

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🤝🏾Today is Juneteenth. What is it? Why does it matter?

This brief definition from The Gist: Juneteenth celebrates June 19, 1865 — the date that federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce that all enslaved people were officially free under the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been signed by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln more than two years earlier.

A day to celebrate, indeed.