Celebs Who Had Beef With Rory McIlRoy
Rory McIlroy may be outspoken on matters related to golf, but at the end of the day, he doesn't want any enemies. That said, even a golfer with a substantial net worth can't win everything, and unfortunately, there are a few celebs who aren't exactly his biggest fans.
Back in 2022, McIlroy opened up to The Guardian about wanting to avoid ruffling feathers. "If I know anything about myself, it's that I'm naturally a people-pleaser. It weighs on me if I am pissing people off. I don't want people to not like me," he explained. It was a refreshingly honest thing to say — especially since many celebrities claim otherwise. Granted, that hasn't stopped people from trying to look for drama between McIlroy and other familiar faces over the years. In particular, in the wake of Tiger Woods' alleged role in stopping McIlroy from returning to the PGA Tour Policy Board, there have been rumors that the longtime friends have fallen out. FWIW, McIlroy himself has rubbished that, explaining in a press conference, "There's no strain there. You know, I think we might see the future of golf a little bit differently, but I don't think that should place any strain on our relationship or on our friendship."
That said, the situation with Woods isn't the only one that's prompted questions over who is in McIlroy's corner. In fact, over the years, other golfers and even news anchors have hinted at not liking him.
Lisa Montgomery used a slur against Rory on live TV
Back in 2015, "Kennedy" host Lisa Montgomery responded to a story of Rory McIlroy's ankle injury by revealing in no uncertain terms that she was not a fan. More specifically, though, she did so while using derogatory language — and while on a Fox News Live broadcast. "He's a leprechaun. I can't stand him," she could be heard saying.
As if that wasn't enough, Montgomery later addressed her comments, and to say she didn't back down would be an understatement. "I called Rory McIlroy a leprechaun, and believe me, I wanted to call him much worse," she said on Fox News. Unsurprisingly, she ended with the comment, "As you know, some of my best friends are leprechauns, and they also have tremendous senses of humor. Thank you."
Montgomery attributed her hostility to McIlroy ending his engagement with tennis great Caroline Wozniacki via a phone call. However, something tells us Wozniacki probably didn't appreciate her words. After all, in a joint interview for The New York Times alongside Serena Williams, just months after the split, Wozniacki, who has since married NBA retiree David Lee, shared that she had no ill will towards her ex. In fact, Williams gushed over just how gracious Wozniacki was over the situation. "She said, 'I could never hate him. He's been a big part of my life and even if I wanted to, I couldn't hate him,'" Williams recounted.
Rory McIlroy and Grayson Murray had a tense moment
Back in 2023, Rory McIlroy made headlines for coming to blows with fellow golfer (and, ahem, Paige Spiranac admirer) Grayson Murray. According to an unnamed player who spoke with Golf, McIlroy, Murray and around 100 other PGA Tour members had been in an already-tense meeting over the PGA Tour's controversial merger with LIV Golf and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.
The source claimed that in his frustration, Murray had begun blowing up at PGA commissioner Jay Monahan — and that's where his run-in with McIlroy began. At some point, McIlroy — who was said to be pretty quiet up until that point — lost his patience. "I forget exactly what led to this, but Rory goes, 'Just play better, Grayson,'" the source claimed. In response, Murray told McIlroy to "F**k off." He wasn't the only one to clap back, either. According to the insider, most of the people in attendance were annoyed by McIlroy's comment.
That said, we're not entirely sure Murray counts as someone who can't stand McIlroy. After all, fellow golfer Wesley Bryan revealed on X, previously Twitter, that they'd made nice soon after. "We chatted as a group of players and we were laughing about the comment. No beef or hard feelings either way," he wrote.
Rory lost it at Patrick Cantlay
Grayson Murray isn't the only golfer Rory McIlroy has had a run-in with in the past. In fact, no list of McIlroy's beefs would be complete without mentioning the time he lost his cool at his 2023 Ryder Cup rival and fellow golfing star Patrick Cantlay. As many remember, McIlroy had been frustrated by Cantlay's caddy when he came too close to him as he was taking a shot. The caddie, Joe LaCava, didn't move — and even said something to McIlroy.
Though the situation initially seemed resolved, after a moment of reflection, McIlroy confronted another member of the American team in the parking lot. That wasn't all, though. He also spoke to the Irish Independent and seemed to blame LaCava's behavior on Cantlay. "Joe LaCava used to be a nice guy when he was caddying for Tiger, and now he's caddying for that d**k," he explained.
For what it's worth, Cantlay wasn't fazed. In fact, speaking to Golf, he hinted that he thought it had been blown out of proportion. "I think it was taken out of context. And that's kind of the world we live in, where the headline drives the story," he explained. Yet, this is another instance of someone not really having a problem with McIlroy. Hey, he's always said he prefers not to have anyone dislike him, and it certainly seems he's succeeded at that.