In golf, you can’t win ’em all, and you can’t win ’em all over. Rory McIlroy certainly knows this as well as anyone. For every major victory like what we saw on Sunday at the Masters, there’s a major heartbreak in his illustrious career. And despite being a media darling and fan favourite for the most part, he certainly has his detractors out there.
That came up in a weird way this past week following McIlroy’s comments about his preparation for this year’s Masters. The 36-year-old said that in the lead-up to the tournament, he had some quick trips to Augusta National.
“I did a couple of days where I dropped [daughter] Poppy to school, flew up here, played, landed back home and had dinner with Poppy and [wife] Erica,” McIlroy said on Friday after taking a record six-shot lead through 36 holes.
But while you’d expect a comment like that to get environmentalists up and arms over McIlroy’s (private) jetsetting, it led to more people complaining that McIlroy had an unfair advantage because he had such great access to the course leading up to the event. Heck, even Stephen A. Smith brought it up on First Take:
Did Rory McIlroy have an "unfair advantage" in the Masters Tournament? 🤔@stephenasmith and @WindhorstESPN weigh in on McIlroy's back-to-back wins 🏆 pic.twitter.com/A4X0SIE4HI
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 13, 2026
There’s just one problem with that: Everyone who gets an invitation is able to schedule practice rounds well ahead of the tournament.
Kevin Kisner certainly knows that as an eight-time Masters participant. And on the latest episode of Barstool’s Foreplay podcast, the four-time PGA Tour winner and NBC golf analyst called that take “the dumbest argument I’ve ever seen in my life.” Here’s Kisner’s full thoughts on the matter:
“I thought it was the dumbest argument I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Kiz weighs in on the Rory practice round debate and gives a behind-the-scenes look at course access leading up to majors.
Presented by @Chevrolet pic.twitter.com/4lKURW1MtY
— Fore Play (@ForePlayPod) April 13, 2026
Kisner acknowledges that as a defending champ, McIlroy might be able to come and go more as he pleases—and having a private jet is always an advantage—but that everyone has plenty of chances to play practice rounds there. And that he himself would play “probably 10 times a year leading up to the Masters.” It helps that he lives in nearby Aiken, but that’s a lot!
So there you have it. Please go out and spread the word to all the casual golf fans—including Stephen A. Smith—that Rory McIlroy won the 2026 Masters fair and square.
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Main Image: Adam Glanzman
