On Wednesday, Rory McIlroy had a tense moment with a reporter who implied that the six-time major champion wasn’t working hard enough while not actively competing in tournaments.
This exchange unfolded during a press conference for the Scottish Open, which kicks off on Thursday, leading into next week’s British Open at Royal Birkdale.
The reporter asked if McIlroy needed to “get up to speed or work a little harder to shake off the rust,” given that he hasn’t played as frequently lately.
“Because we’ve seen some of your extra sessions at the practice range, right?” the reporter added.
“Do you have one?” McIlroy shot back.
The reporter recalled, “Didn’t you have a stormy session at Augusta, one of the other majors?”
“What do you think I do on my day off?” McIlroy retorted.
“You don’t have to try so hard. It looks like it will be easy,” the reporter said, attempting to ease the tension.
“No, I work hard,” McIlroy clarified.
Continuing, the reporter said, “Nothing these days? Does it look rusty?”
“No,” McIlroy replied curtly, effectively bringing the discussion to a close.
At 37 years old, McIlroy recently secured his first Masters victory in 2025, achieving a career grand slam with his second consecutive green jacket just three months ago.
Prior to that win, he hadn’t captured a major title since 2014.
After his second Masters victory, he finished tied for seventh at the PGA Championship and tied for 32nd at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock last month.
McIlroy began the Scottish Open on a strong note, scoring a 5-under 65 and ending the first round in a four-way tie at the top of the leaderboard. Initially, he had a mixed bag of two bogeys and three birdies on the back nine before wrapping up with an eagle on the par-5 first hole, followed by birdies on the seventh and eighth holes.
