Golf insider slams Rory McIlroy’s ‘cranky’ attitude since Masters triumph: “Don’t understand what he’s so upset about”

Rory McIlroy created history at the 2025 Masters Tournament as he became only the sixth player in the sport to have completed the career Grand Slam. However, at last week's US Open, he was visibly frustrated with his game.

In Dan Rappaport's latest episode of Dan on Golf, the golf analyst offered his take on the Northern Irishman. Noting that winning the Masters would take some weight off McIlroy's shoulders, Rappaport said there is a significant change in his attitude. He said (via YouTube 41:28 - 42:19):

"There's this sort of ornery, cranky attitude that he seems to have right now...It's not the Rory we've all come to know in the last couple years. He's in a mood."

Rappaport stated that a struggle with motivation does not need to result in a "cranky attitude." Notably, Rory McIlroy declined to speak with media after his driver was deemed non-conforming by the USGA at the 2025 PGA Championship in May.

The Ryder Cup star adressed the media for the first time at the US Open on Saturday. Dan Rappaport included a clip of the interview on his show where McIlroy says he's frustrated with the media.

He commented (via YouTube 43:04 - 45:20):

"After he won the Masters it was a lovefest - deservedly so. He's clearly upset about the driver situation where it leaked that his driver failed the test. But is that really the media's fault? You know it got leaked by someone at the USGA and the media didn't conduct the testing. I just don't understand what he's so upset about. It makes me upset to see him upset. This should be the most incredible time - you've just completed the career Grand Slam."

The podcaster said that Rory McIlroy is well within his rights to skip media duties but was out of line to say that he is frustrated with them.

Rory McIlroy throws clubs around at Oakmont

Rory McIlroy was visibly frustrated at the 2025 US Open. Just like many other players, the gruelling conditions at the Oakmont Country Club got the best of him.

The PGA Tour sensation was spotted throwing his clubs around several times. Here's a look at one of his expressions of anger during the third round on Saturday (via X @NUCLRGolf):

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Later on during the round, Rory McIlroy hit a poor tee shot on the 17th hole and smashed the tee box marker with his driver.

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Rory McIlroy went on to post a 3-under par 67 round on Sunday to vault 30 spots up the leaderboard. The TGL co-founder ended the week tied for 19th place along with Ryan Fox, Victor Perez, and Emiliano Grillo. The Northern Irishman is a part of the field for next week's Travelers Championship in Connecticut.

About the author

Lathika is one of the newer additions to Sportskeeda’s budding golf journalism team and has brought plenty of in-game experience to the role. Having been a golfer for over 12 years now, some of her crowning achievements include winning titles on the Indian Golf Union Ladies tour and Junior Girls Amateur tour.

She currently competes in Division 1 golf in New York, and hopes to play in the U.S. Open and Chevron Championship one day. She is set to cover the 2025 Ryder Cup as well. She is currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Management, and holds a Sports Marketing certification from Northwestern University, which helped her learn to draft press releases and ultimately transition into journalism.

Lathika has thus developed a knowledge base that allows her to view golf from both player, spectator and media lenses, enabling her to bring statistics, insights and an understanding of fan emotion together in her copies. She only uses verified information from reliable sources like the PGA TOUR.

Her favorite golfers are Nelly Korda and Tiger Woods, both for their playing style as well as their mental strength. Much of her time away from work is spent playing golf, but she also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and learning new hobbies or upskilling.

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Edited by Pratham K Sharma