6. This one came as McIlroy talked about his divorce announcement, which came during PGA Championship week.
“There’s parts of my life that I like to keep as private as possible,” McIlroy said. “Unfortunately in this line of work, that isn’t always possible. I’ve always tried to be protective of my loved ones from people that have ill intentions. I think it was a wake-up call for me to say, let’s just focus on the golf for a little bit.
Scheffler on his arrest
7. This one came as Scheffler talked about his arrest, which occurred before the start of the second round of the PGA Championship.
“First of all, I was freaking out because I somehow went from driving into the golf course to a jail cell,” Scheffler said, “and I still don’t really know how that happened exactly. I don’t think it ever really felt real.”
Joel Dahmen on Scheffler’s arrest
8. “I understand how it happens,” said Joel Dahmen, a fellow pro. “I completely understand. I have driven past security. I have flashed my badge. It’s chaos, especially when it’s dark.”
Ted Scott on Scheffler’s arrest
9. “You know, it was just nuts,” said Ted Scott, Scheffler’s caddie. “But he handles himself in stressful situations so well. I’ve seen it. I’ve walked with him. I mean, the guy was in jail, stretching. Who does that, right?”
DeChambeau on tournament golf
10. This one came as DeChambeau watched Xander Schauffele try to break a tie with him on the 72nd hole of the PGA Championship.
“A couple early in the week,” DeChambeau said, “is what it always comes down to, right?”
McIlroy on DeChambeau again
11. This one came as McIlroy talked about DeChambeau in the context of DeChambeau becoming more fan friendly.
“Bryson is exactly what the game of golf needs right now,” McIlroy said. “I would certainly like the opportunity to play against him a little more often if I could. You know, he’s made the game of golf more exciting this year.”
McIlroy on LIV again
12. The LIV Golf quote that led this story came in November of 2023. This one came seemingly later in 2024.
“I’ve basically went through the last two years with this like, altruistic approach,” McIlroy said. “I’ve sort of looked at the world in the way I’ve wanted to see it. But I think if I can put myself in a fan’s shoes, that’s sort of where my attitude toward all of this has sort of changed or has softened.”
McIlroy on the U.S. Open
13. This one came as McIlroy talked about what it would mean to win the U.S. Open.
“Going into the U.S. Open,” he said, “I feel like I’ve reset. It’s the first major that I won, and it always ends on Father’s Day as well. And when I won, I had my dad there, which was really cool, and so, you know, it’s meant a lot to me. I’d love to get my name on that trophy again.”
McIlroy on his divorce being called off
14. This one came as McIlroy talked about his divorce being called off, which was revealed during U.S. Open week.
“Thankfully, everything has worked out for the best,” McIlroy said, “and we’re happy and moving forward and can’t wait for what lies ahead.”
McIlroy on Pinehurst’s greens
15. This one came seemingly early in the week during U.S. Open week at Pinehurst, as McIlroy rode in a shuttle bus.
Said a man in the background: “How was it out there today?”
Said McIlroy: “It was good.”
Said the man: “Are the greens as tough as everybody’s saying they are?”
Said McIlroy: “Professional golfers, they like to b**ch and whine a lot, so …”
McIlroy on, uh …
16. This one came as McIlroy got dressed in the Pinehurst locker room.
Said McIlroy: “Feel like I’m getting dressed in primary school again, with a towel over it.”
Said a man in the background: “They’ll blur it out.”
Said McIlroy: “Not much to blur out after the cold plunge.”
McIlroy on his U.S. Open finish
17. This one came after the U.S. Open, where McIlroy missed short putts on 16 and 18 during the final round and finished a shot behind DeChambeau, the winner. Afterward, McIlroy left without attending a press conference.
“I think missing that little putt on 16, which I hadn’t done all week, I feel like that putt sort of let Bryson back into the tournament,” McIlroy said. “If you treat it as so binary as winning is good and not winning is bad, it’s a career of torture.
“As crushing of a defeat that I’ve had in golf, it was probably the toughest finish to a tournament I’ve ever had. So I probably just did everyone a favor by getting out of there. I didn’t want to speak to anyone, didn’t want to see anyone. I just wanted to get on the plane and go home.”
Tiger Woods answering … me
18. Yep, that’s me, at the 8:59 mark. At the PGA Championship, I had this exchange with Tiger Woods:
Me: “As a dad who’s a golf professional, what advice would you have for Scottie Scheffler?”
Woods: “Get some sleep.”
Some additional info here, though. I’d asked that to several players that week — I like trying to find a question that gets players to open up a bit, and I think how they answer it gives you a bit deeper look. But with Woods, I asked it twice. He didn’t hear it the first time.
So I’m very thankful “Full Swing” didn’t include that.
