“I stand by what I said,” Collin Morikawa once again DEFENDS himself for skipping post media round after loss at the Arnold Palmer Invitational

Collin Morikawa decided to skip the press conference after losing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which drew massive heat.

“I stand by what I said,” Collin Morikawa once again DEFENDS himself for skipping post media round after loss at the Arnold Palmer Invitational

Collin Morikawa (Image via SB Nation)

Ahead of the 2025 Masters Tournament, several players took part in the pre-tournament press conference. One of them was Collin Morikawa, who once again defended himself for skipping the post media round after the loss at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The 2-time major champion was leading the signature event at one stage. However, a bogey on the 14th hole in the final round saw him lose his grip. A chip-in eagle from Russell Henley at the 16th hole turned out to be decisive.

YouTube video

Morikawa ended up suffering another heartbreaking loss as Henley snatched the title from him. While being frustrated at himself, the American golfer decided to skip the post media rounds.

This was something that was not received well by some experts and fans. Former PGA Tour member Rocco Mediate slammed him for this and claimed that if Arnold Palmer were alive, he would have hunted him down.

Morikawa would later explain his actions at The Players Championship. Analyst Brandel Chamblee would then hit back at him and expressed that Morikawa said “no” to the fans. On Tuesday, Morikawa once again defended his stance and claimed that he stood by what he said.

I think everyone took it in a wrong direction. Look, I said it in my second media thing. I could have said it differently. But I stand by what I said. I was in the moment. We talk about giving people space to be who they are, and at that time, it was for me to be who I was, and I didn’t want to be around anyone.

Collin Morikawa said

The 28-year-old also added that he was not even around his wife at that moment. He simply said “Hi” and hugged her before going straight to the locker room.

Following that runner-up finish at the Bay Hill, Morikawa seemed to be in contention once again with scores of 70 and 65 in the first two rounds of The Players Championship. However, a third round score of 77 derailed his chances. He eventually ended the event T10 with a final round score of 69. He then skipped both the Texas Children’s Houston Open and the Valero Texas Open.

Rory McIlroy backs Collin Morikawa for his actions during Arnold Palmer Invitational

As the discussion regarding Collin Morikawa skipping the press conference after the loss at the Arnold Palmer Invitational sparked up again, Rory McIlroy was asked about his thoughts. The 4-time major champion defended Morikawa for his actions.

Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa
Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa (Image via Imago)

McIlroy faced similar heat last year when he left the Pinehurst course without speaking with the media. The North Irishman had suffered another heartbreaking loss at the U.S. Open, finishing one shot behind Bryson DeChambeau, after missing some close-range putts.

The former World No.1 backed Morikawa on his stance and claimed that he was “right” to do that. He pointed out that unlike other professional athletes, they are not obliged to speak with the media after the round.

Well, he’s right. Not that I think he could have worded it a little bit better, but look, every other athlete, whether it be in the NBA, NFL, they’re obligated to speak to you guys after a game. We’re not.

Rory McIlroy said in the Masters Tournament press conference

McIlroy also expressed that unless the PGA Tour makes it compulsory for them to take part in the interviews, there will be more cases where people skip them.

Who are Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy paired up with during the 2025 Masters Tournament?

The 2025 Masters Tournament will take place this week from April 10 to 13. The first major championship of the season will see an elite list of golfers face off against each other, hoping to walk away with the iconic green jacket. Both Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy are eyeing their first win in this event, having won some other majors before.

Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy
Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy (Image via Imago)

Morikawa will tee off with Joaquin Niemann and Min Woo Lee in the first two rounds. Both of them have won recently on their respective tours. While Niemann has won twice on the LIV Golf this year, Lee claimed his first win on the tour by winning the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

As for Rory McIlroy, he has been paired up with Ludvig Aberg, another recent winner on the PGA Tour, and Akshay Bhatia. This trio will tee off at 1:12 pm/9:58 am.

Like every other major event, the Masters 2025 will have a cut. This means that after the first two rounds, some players will return home empty-handed from the Augusta National.