“I don’t regret anything I said,” Collin Morikawa emphatically responded to criticism from golf pundits Brandel Chamblee and Paul McGinley, who had called him out for avoiding media after his near-miss at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Morikawa had explained that he was “heated” and “pissed” after coming so close to his first PGA Tour win since 2023 and didn’t feel like talking to anyone. People then wondered what the responsibilities of golfers towards the media and fans really is.

Regardless, Morikawa stood by his comments, that he respects the fans and is grateful for their support. He did spent time signing autographs for fans after the final round at Bay Hill, but received media attention. So, let me get this straight—these guys battle the toughest courses, grind through four-hour rounds, and then have to explain to the media why their putt on 16 broke left instead of right?

Golf analyst Charlie Hulme recently shared his thoughts on the matter, expressing concerns about the sense of entitlement he feels the media think they have when it comes to accessing golfers’ time. “I don’t think we’ve reached a sense of entitlement from a media perspective, where like, we think these players owe us some portion of their time. They owe us answers, they should have to sit up in front of us and answer these things all the time. I, as a fan of golf, someone who loves the game, someone who watches these tournaments every week, don’t know what putting Collin up on the podium on Sunday after Bay Hill makes me smarter about golf”, he said calling out Chamblee, in the latest episode of the Smyliee Show on YouTube.

Hulme argued that, as a golf fan, he’d rather see behind-the-scenes content, like practice routine walk-throughs, than watch a press conference with generic questions. This type of content, he believes, would provide more insight into the game and make better use of the golfers’ time. “If someone from PGA Tour’s production team went over and said, ‘Hey, can we throw a mic on you real quick and can you, at the last 50 minutes of your practice session, you know, the short game area, you’re putting, just walk us through your routines and talk to us about what you’re working on? Help us understand how you play the game of golf,’ and put that on PGA’s YouTube channel… like, that to me seems like a lot better use of time than putting him in front of a bunch of media,” he further said.

This, sort of long-form, more real content is slowly taking pace. Like, Netflix’s ‘Full Swing’ Docuseries pulls back the curtain on pro golfers’ lives, drawing in both die-hards and newcomers. After its release, 11% of lapsed viewers returned to PGA Tour events, and 42% started watching more golf. Well, in contrast to what Hulme said, one PGA Tour veteran seems to be really upset by Morikawa’s actions.

PGA Tour veteran calls Collin Morikawa’s behavior “selfish”

Collin Morikawa‘s decision to skip his post-round media interviews at the Arnold Palmer Invitational has sparked outrage from PGA Tour veteran Rocco Mediate. Morikawa, who relinquished a late lead on Sunday, claimed he didn’t feel like talking to anyone and went out of the venue without giving any interviews. However, Mediate labeled Morikawa’s actions as “dumb” and “selfish,” saying, “Your job is to tell people what happened. I don’t give a s— about your workout in the morning and all that other crap. Tell me what happened.”

Mediate’s scathing criticism highlights the tension between golfers’ personal feelings and their professional obligations. As Mediate pointed out, “It’s real easy to go in and talk to somebody when you won or when you’ve played well, but can you do it when you don’t? That’s the key.” Morikawa’s actions have reignited the debate about golfers’ responsibilities towards the media and fans. While Morikawa has stood by his comments, Mediate’s harsh words have put the spotlight on the PGA Tour’s expectations of its players. So, what are your thoughts on the matter? Do you agree with Mediate here? Let us know in the comment section below!

Top Comment by LeLon Johnson

Well Morikawa it’s human just like you and I and if he did not want to speak to the commentators...more

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