Paul McGinley issues statement after receiving backlash for 'bizarre' Rory McIlroy comment at Masters

Under-fire Sky Sports pundit Paul McGinley has issued a forthright response after criticism for his 'rude' and 'bizarre' comment about Masters champion Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy must have been feeling the pressure after taking a two-shot lead into the final round of the 2025 Masters and being unable to shake off Justin Rose, but he held his nerve to birdie the first hole of a sudden-death play-off against the Englishman.

The 35-year-old is a widely popular Masters winner and the toast of the sporting world after his spectacular victory.

Many fans were rooting for him on Sunday, eager for him to end an 11-year quest for the career Grand Slam.

As a sportsman who's been in the spotlight since a very young age, it's not easy to retain the bulk of the public's affection.

McIlroy has broadly managed it but a comment on the Sky Sports coverage of the Masters hinted that not everyone would agree.

Masters pundit and Team Europe Ryder Cup hero McGinley appeared to suggest after the nerve-jangling play-off that McIlroy is divisive, proclaiming that "Rory isn't everybody's cup of tea."

Nobody is everybody's cup of tea but fans were quick to respond to McGinley's backhanded congratulations nonetheless.

"Found it very strange last night that Paul McGinley spoke about Rory dividing opinion and that he is not everyone’s cup of tea," posted one user on X, formerly Twitter.

"He is everyone’s cup of tea and is massively popular. Bizarre comment straight after Rory completes the grand slam."

"I thought Paul McGinley was very out of order, nasty and rather rude," said another.

"There are two types of people: those who like Paul McGinley and those that have watched him as a pundit on Sky Sports," wrote another user.

2025 Masters champion Rory McIlroy

McGinley moved to clarify his comment, also on X, on Monday afternoon.

"Rory has been the most criticised golfer in the world over the past few years," posted McGinley.

"Winning was a human story of redemption against that backdrop. I tried to eloquate that but it came out in a ham-fisted way yesterday. Nobody more happy than me to see him win and complete the Slam."

The Masters was McIlroy's fifth major overall and his first since 2014. He had a commanding lead at Augusta in 2011 but was unable to handle the occasion, and the Masters had eluded him until this year.

There have been calls for McIlroy to be knighted after becoming the first European to achieve a career Grand Slam.