The Masters is Setting Up To Be A Massive Battleground For The War Brewing Between PGA Players And Golf Media Members
Augusta National. Getty Images.Collin Morikawa ruffled a few feathers after leaving Bay Hill almost immediately after finishing 2nd at the Arnold Palmer a couple weeks ago. It wasn't as much of a mad dash to the private jet as Rory made after losing the US Open at Pinehurst. Morikawa said he still stuck around to sign autographs for fans on his way out. But he didn't drop by the media tent after his round and opted to not do any interviews.
If there's one thing that journalists and other media members absolutely despise, it's not getting a chance to ask their precious little question. The media mems and Big J's were all up in arms that Morikawa ducked any interviews after the Arnold Palmer, two which Morikawa basically responded with a "suck it, nerds".
Again, sports media always thinks they have the most important job in the world. They think the world would cease to exist without them asking, "so walk me through what was going through your head during those last few holes". So naturally, Collin Morikawa saying that he doesn't "owe anyone anything" was going to drive them up the wall.
Which brings us to Tuesday at The Masters, where this battle between players and media is starting to attract more soldiers on both sides.
Here we have Rory laying down the hammer, as gently and gingerly as possible, that PGA Tour players quite literally do not owe the media access after rounds. That there's nothing contractually obligating them to give any interviews once they finish up on 18. So basically every post-round interview is done out of the kindness of their hearts. If there's nothing that is actually forcing them to stick around after heartbreaking losses, then I don't understand how they media doesn't expect these guys to want to get off the course and back on their jet as quick as possible sometimes. You think media members would want to give an interview immediately after they write a dog shit piece? Don't think so.
Now the argument shifts over to if players are "obligated" to give the media access after every round to "players ought to give the media access after every round".
It seems like 99% of the time, they usually do. There are a few instances like Morikawa bailing after the Arnold Palmer, and Rory taking off the moment Bryson sank that putt at the US Open. But once again, sports media thinks they have the most important job in the world and that it's an affront to humanity for these guys to duck any questions.
Collin Morikawa thinks it's a little messed up that the media usually only seems to care what he has to say after a crushing loss. That he'd stick around and give them more access if he knew it was going to be the same amount of coverage when he's playing well as when he's not at the top of the leaderboard.
What on Earth do you actually expect to get out of these guys 15 minutes after they lose a tournament? They're going to say they're pissed, they're going to say they're frustrated, they're not going to give you any groundbreaking, introspective revelation about their own game and/or character. If you want to get actual quotes from the guys that might be worth writing a story about, the questions should come the next day once they've had a chance to sleep on it. But that doesn't work for these media members because they expect to get their quotes right away so they can be the first with a story up.
It all comes down to a battle of who is more entitled here. Both sides are right, both sides are wrong. But both sides are also going to act like a bunch of little pricks about it, so they're not going to come to any sort of agreement. So now the media got exactly what they wanted out of all of this--they have become a part of the story themselves. Should be a great 5 days in Augusta coming up.