Scott Van Pelt on Rory McIlroy’s bad attitude: “He seems pissed off at everyone”

The fall-out from Rory McIlroy’s poor performance at the US Open continued with criticism from one of the most prominent names in golf coverage.

ESPN golf expert Scott Van Pelt was on the ground at Oakmont last week as McIlory put in a bizarre performance, tossing clubs and smashing tee markers on his way to a 7-over finish for the week.

McIlroy gave combative answers in interviews with reporters at Oakmont and appeared dismissive of the event as a whole, saying: “Look, I climbed my Everest in April."

That triumph at the Augusta National in April completed the set of Majors for the former world No. 1 but the drop-off since then has been stark. Speaking this week, Van Pelt admitted that he was shocked by McIlroy’s attitude since finally winner the Masters.

“I’m just baffled by what happened, like what’s going on,” Van Pelt said on his SVP Pod. “People are going to speculate about his life. I will not do that. The man’s life is his own business.”

“He mentioned after yesterday, like, ‘I climbed my Everest, and I’m trying to come down the mountain.’ And I get that. I, in my life, haven’t ever, nor will I ever have a monumental accomplishment such as that — finishing off the career Grand Slam. I don’t know what comes afterward. You wonder, is it like, ‘I don’t have anything to chase. I don’t have a hill to climb.’ But that doesn’t, to me, explain just the fact that his resting posture seems pissed off at everyone. And I’m just baffled by it."

Aside from those comments, McIlroy’s general persona in front of the press has surprised Van Pelt. It’s now 18 years since McIlroy turned professional and he first made it to the top of the world rankings in 2012.

Despite only being 36 years old the Northern Irishman has already enjoyed a long career at the top of the game. However there is a sense that his longevity is now becoming a burden and he is not currently the warm presence that he was previously.

Van Pelt explained: “To me, he is such a leader of a tour, has been incredibly accountable, more than anybody. And maybe he just reached the point where he’s like, ‘You know what? I’m f*cking done. I’ve done this forever, and now I feel like I’ve reached a point where I get to do whatever I want.’"

“He just seems like he’s mad at everything and everybody. And that’s the part I don’t quite get.”

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