Rory McIlroy’s indifference is understandable after achieving his dream

‘Rory McIlroy is cheesed off that he is not playing well – a matter only exaggerated at Oakmont’s brutal setup.’ Photograph: Jared Wickerham/EPA

A snapshot of Rory McIlroy’s new normal arrived the day before the US PGA Championship began. McIlroy’s practice round at Quail Hollow was watched by more than 50, inside the ropes. Journalists, content creators, wannabe content creators … everyone wanted not just a glimpse – you can get that from the bleachers – but a piece of golf’s latest grand slam man. McIlroy played a hole while being interviewed for the tournament’s main preview show. All soft, knock‑around stuff but inevitably a distraction.

It was difficult to shake the notion that Tiger Woods would never have tolerated such a scenario. It is also thankfully a truism that McIlroy is not Tiger Woods. The Northern Irishman’s chatty, warm personality endears him to so many. In a non-tribal sport people root for Rory, none more so than at Augusta National when more than a decade of frustration ended amid euphoric April scenes. Hardened men shed tears in a media centre, no less.