Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images
McIlroy answered questions about Jordan Speith’s disqualification at the Genesis Invitational but did not take a side.
Even though Rory McIlroy was not directly involved in Jordan Spieth’s disqualification at the Genesis Invitational, the media wanted to hear his perspective.
The reporter who inquired McIlroy explained that many people have voiced their disdain for this rule over the last 24 hours. Some feel that incorrectly signing a scorecard should not warrant disqualification.
The 34-year-old McIlroy likely would have given an opinion, as he has over the past couple of years on various topics, but that was not the case this time.
McIlroy instead rode the fence.
“If we’re trying to keep this game unbifurcated and trying to [have] the pros play by the same rules as the amateurs, then we all need to keep our playing partners’ scorecards, and we’re responsible for that,” he said.
“I also see the other side of the coin where there are thousands of people watching us. Every shot’s tracked on Shot Tracker and the PGA Tour app. Is it needed at this point? I probably am more of a traditionalist than anything else. I fall into the camp of it’s worked for so long, I don’t think you need to change it.”
Has the 4-time major winner ever had an incident similar to Speith’s, where he signed for an incorrect number?
No, but McIlroy has come close.
Yet, McIlroy was at the center of a rules controversy a couple of weeks ago. He took an incorrect drop at Pebble Beach that cost him two strokes.
“I think as professional golfers, it’s the one thing, and I understand with Jordan, he was hot coming off the golf course, it’s easily done,” McIlroy said.
“But yeah, just unfortunate for him and unfortunate for the tournament that he’s not around.”
While McIlroy felt for Spieth, it was not enough for him to say the PGA Tour needs to amend this ruling. He stayed on the fence and let others fight about it, unlike the McIlroy fans have grown to see over the last couple of years.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
