Rory McIlroy has support from Tommy Fleetwood after claim about his treatment
Rory McIlroy has support from Tommy Fleetwood after claim about his treatment
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Not long after Rory McIlroy hit out at the press for holding him to a higher standard than everybody else, Tommy Fleetwood lent his support to the Northern Irishman. In December, McIlroy expressed his frustration at journalists who he believes are too quick to criticise him. His frustration overflowed at the end of an emotional year, which saw him narrowly miss out on securing his fifth major win. At the US Open, the 35-year-old was on the brink of victory, only to be pipped to the post by Bryson DeChambeau by a single stroke. Six months after this disappointing loss, McIlroy voiced his annoyance at the media's tendency to focus on his failures during interviews.
When asked about his views on how McIlroy is treated by the press, Fleetwood concurred with his colleague. Speaking at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai last November, Fleetwood said: "Of course, Rory is held to a higher standard than pretty much everybody else in the world of golf. But I think he's shown amazing golf again this year, and he's shown why he's one of the best to ever do it. "Of course, I think it's easy for everyone to look at what could have happened if things go a little different way. But at the same time, you only get to talk about those things if he is consistently up there with a chance of winning week-in, week-out.
"He's shown amazing consistency. So close to winning a major, so close to winning a bunch of events while winning a few at the same time.". Fleetwood's support proceeded McIlroy's blunt exchange with the media at the time. In December, the irked Northern Irishman didn't hold back in expressing his irritation at the continuous reminders about his absence from the Majors winners' circle since 2014. He said: "I think what the hard thing is in my position is your disappointments and your mistakes keep getting brought up to you every time that you get in front of a camera or you're in a press conference or answering questions.
"At the same time, I am in a very fortunate position that this is what I get to do for a living. If I have to deal with what people deem are unfair expectations or are held to a higher standard than others, then so be it. "I feel like that's a very privileged position to be in. I'd much rather have it this way than if people didn't really care about what I was doing on the golf course. "It's hard because on one hand, I sit here and I'm proud of what I've done this year, but then on the other hand I sit here and I am disappointed because of the ones I've let get away.".
