Rory McIlroy gave an in-play interview for the benefit of the viewers at home during the opening round of The Masters, the first time it has ever been tried in the tournament.
While it’s not the only time McIlroy has agreed to be interviewed on the course, having also done it at the WGC-Match Play last month, his decision to repeat the move at Augusta National divided social media.
Some questioned whether it was a distraction considering the importance of the tournament for a player chasing his first Green Jacket and a career Grand Slam. On the other hand, many loved the unique insight provided by one of the world’s best players as his round was in progress.
However, one high-profile figure who fell into the former category is Sir Nick Faldo. The three-time Masters champion, who has stepped back into the limelight this week to perform broadcasting duties for Sky Sports in the UK, responded to footage of McIlroy giving his in-play interview shared on Twitter by Golf Monthly. He wrote: “Every interview I’ve done this week is all about giving 100% concentration to yourself and the task at hand, so why?”
Every interview I’ve done this week is all about giving 100% concentration to yourself and the task at hand, so why? https://t.co/yyuFHfNd67April 7, 2023
After his round, McIlroy denied the in-play interviews are a distraction. He said: "I did it a couple weeks ago at the Match Play. It definitely feels a little less intrusive with the ear piece rather than someone right up next to you with the microphone like they've been doing it in Europe for a couple of years.
"I thought it would be a cool thing to do. I did it in Austin and didn't feel like it took me out of my rhythm in any way or made me think about things too much. So it's nice to provide the audience at home a little bit more insight into what's going on out here.”
Still, there will be a nagging doubt for many whether that the move affected McIlroy’s performance. He finished his opening round seven shots behind overnight leaders Brooks Koepka, Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm and admitted he had work to do after an 'untidy' start to his attempt to win his first Major in nine years.
Considering McIlroy’s inconsistencies while mic’d up, it seems likely more people will join Faldo in questioning the interviews if they continue and he doesn't start moving up the leaderboard.
