Brandel Chamblee criticizes Collin Morikawa while defending Rory McIlroy following media fiasco

Brandel Chamblee has come to Rory McIlroy's defense amid criticism over McIlroy's decision to skip media interaction during the PGA Championship. While standing up for McIlroy, Chamblee also took aim at Collin Morikawa for his attitude toward media obligations.

The controversy began when Collin Morikawa, after finishing runner-up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, refused to speak to the media.

"I don't owe anyone anything. No offense to you guys, but for me in the moment of that time, I didn't want to be around anyone. Like, I didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't need any sorries. I didn't need any ‘good playings.’ Like, you're just pissed," Morikawa was quoted as saying by Golfweek.

The comment didn’t sit well with many in the golf world, including Chamblee, who stressed how important it is for players to interact with the media.

Responding to a social media post that criticized players who only show up when things are going well, Chamblee explained his understanding of the whole matter.

"The amount of time a player/athlete is willing to give those who cover them, with few exceptions, has from time immemorial been proportional to the amount of good will extended to them by the media...Having said that, I think the recent trend of players choosing to not talk to the media is somewhat understandable (aside from Morikawa’s “I don’t owe you anything” comment) given the fact that social-media has created a “first beats best” mentality amongst a few that give the rest a bad name."

McIlroy, for his part, explained that his decision to avoid media interactions during the PGA Championship was due to personal reasons, including the frustration over a leaked equipment issue.

How has Collin Morikawa performed in the 2025 season so far?

Collin Morikawa is currently ranked fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). He has played 11 events this season but is yet to register a win. However, he has recorded three top-10 finishes.

He began the year with a strong runner-up finish at The Sentry, going 32-under-par. He then finished T17 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (−11) and repeated the T17 result at The Genesis Invitational (−3). Morikawa once again came close to a win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, finishing runner-up at 10-under-par.

At The Players Championship, he secured a T10, finishing 7-under-par. He followed that with a T14 at The Masters (−3). However, his form dipped slightly at the RBC Heritage, where he finished T54 (−3), and he missed the cut at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Collin Morikawa bounced back with a T17 finish at the Truist Championship (−7) but struggled at the PGA Championship, ending T50 at 4-over-par. In his most recent appearance at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, he finished T20 at 2-over-par.

Collin Morikawa is not in the field for the upcoming RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto in Ontario.