Major champion tells media to shut up over Rory McIlroy claim
Nick Faldo has jumped to Rory McIlroy's defense following media criticism, arguing that too much focus has been placed on his reserved interaction with Cameron Young throughout the Masters.McIlroy clinched his second straight Green Jacket on Sunday, entering an elite group as just the fourth player in the tournament's storied history to win consecutive titles at Augusta National, narrowly defeating Scottie Scheffler by one stroke.Throughout the final round, the Holywood native stayed largely in his own zone, with minimal engagement with his playing partner. This isn't out of character for McIlroy - he's shown similar behavior previously, notably at last year's Masters, when Bryson DeChambeau observed: "Rory didn't talk to me once all day."READ MORE: Rory McIlroy's Donald Trump taunt and U-turn as President makes Masters win all about himREAD MORE: Masters champion divorced after just three months and has been married four timesThis time around, Young seemed unbothered by the limited conversation. However, much of the post-tournament discussion fixated on McIlroy's apparent aloofness - something Faldo contends has been overblown."I want to have a little dig at the media," Faldo declared in a video shared on X. "Will you shut up on this, 'Oh [McIlroy] didn't talk to [Cameron Young],' making a story out of it."Because here's my story: I played with the gentleman of all gentlemen, Jack [Nicklaus] in 1990, [in the] last round [of the Masters] and we didn't say a word to each other until we got to the 12th. And it was me, old chatterbox, I said, 'Thank goodness we don't play this hole every week.' So Jack goes, 'I've been playing this for 35 years!' And I said, 'That's older than me, Jack.'"And that was it. He pulled a face when I whacked a putt in on the 14th - I hit it so hard he sort of went, 'What was that?' And we didn't say anything [else] until the 18th, so please, stop all this rubbish."From day one at Augusta, McIlroy held command, sitting atop the leaderboard after each round. His substantial six-shot advantage after Friday's play, however, shrank to just a single stroke going into Sunday's thrilling final round, setting up a nail-biting finish.Still, the 36-year-old kept his composure to post a closing score of 12 under par, narrowly beating Scheffler by a single shot and finishing two strokes ahead of Tyrrell Hatton, Russell Henley, Justin Rose and Cameron Young, who confirmed he fully grasped McIlroy's quiet approach."I don't think he really wanted to talk to me today," Young observed. "Sunday at the Masters in the final group, you know, don't wish anything poorly on the guy but we're playing against each other. Not trying to be best friends out there... it's just one of those times where you leave each other be."READ MORE: LIV Golf breaks silence as Saudi Arabia funding rumors dominate headlinesREAD MORE: Tiger Woods' texts to Rory McIlroy and his awkward snub explainedMcIlroy later confirmed minimal conversation took place during the final round, even with his caddie, Harry Diamond."There wasn't a ton of talk out there," he said. "I think we both knew what we needed to do. I just needed to step up and execute."His victory has certainly elevated McIlroy's standing among golf's greatest players. Yet Faldo - a three-time Masters winner himself - believes the Northern Irishman still has ground to cover before claiming the sport's ultimate status."It's a whole different kettle of fish nowadays," the 68 year old told The Times. "He's done way more than me. He's won 29 times in America. Of the all-time greats, I'd put him fifth. Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack [Nicklaus] and Tiger [Woods]. Rory is right there."
