Brad Faxon Calls Out Golf's Negative Media While Defending Rory McIlroy's Major-Less Season

Rory McIlroy has now gone nine-straight seasons without winning a major championship. The 34-year-old's major drought has been one of golf's biggest storylines for close to a decade now, but Brad Faxon doesn't exactly think that should be the case.

McIlroy's loudest critics, especially over the past couple of years, have harped about his inconsistency with the putter. That particularly rubs Faxon the wrong way seeing as how he is McIlroy's putting coach.

Speaking with Golf Channel, Faxon went to bat for McIlroy and specifically called out those in the media that criticize the four-time major winner's putting stroke when they may not have a clue what they're actually talking about.

“He didn’t have a great putting couple of days but he had a great final round and a great putting week," Faxon said about McIlroy's performance at The Open. "And you know, when Rory McIlroy finishes fifth in a Major, tied for sixth in a Major, the world is going to end according to some of the media."

“It bugs me to no end, and what particularly bugs me, and I hope whoever posted this one is listening now, because when other instructors want to criticize Rory’s stroke or Rory or potentially me, when they don’t know anything about how a player thinks and what motivates them, what drives them, it’s beyond reproach," Faxon continued.

Brad Faxon is tired of all the Rory McIlroy hate. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

Given how great McIlroy has been for such a long time and the fact that he's now in his mid-30s, his performance in major championships is all the vast majority of golf fans and those in the media care about. You add the fact that he's gone nine years without finding a major winner's circle and it only adds emphasis each time he tees it up in the game's biggest tournaments.

Faxon understands that, but he's also able to recognize that McIlroy has had a very strong 2023. Outside of missing the cut at The Players and the Masters, McIlroy has finished inside the Top 10 in nine of his 14 starts in 2023, which includes a runner-up finish at the U.S. Open and a win at the Scottish Open.

As for Faxon's note about the media overreacting, I couldn't agree more. Something has flipped over the last few years in certain golf media circles where all some can focus on is the negative.

As for what's next for McIlroy, he'll be teeing it up in the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis next week as he starts his quest for what would be a fourth FedEx Cup.