Johnson Wagner Abruptly Changes Tune on Rory McIlroy After Waging War Against Him Over LIV Golf

Was Johnson Wagner just made to eat his words after criticizing Rory McIlroy? You could say that! Before the tournament began, Wagner was asked “Who do you hesitate with if of the three, Rory?” during a 5 Clubs YouTube podcast before the fifth major even began. The analyst responded to Gary Williams’s question with “Yes, probably Rory mostly at Players,” suggesting that McIlroy will be his least preferred pick out of the top 3 golfers in the world to win THE PLAYERS Championship. We all know how that ended.

Rory McIlroy! This was his second THE PLAYERS title. Nevertheless, the Northern Irishman has had a spectacular season so far. He kicked things off with a win at Pebble Beach. This sets him up for great momentum, especially with the battle of Augusta approaching since now for the first time, he has won twice before the Masters. Notably, McIlroy was not the winner anyone was expecting at the TPC Sawgrass.

Many in the community were rooting for Scottie Scheffler. The #1 became the first golfer to retain the PGA Tour’s flagship title in 2024. This had everyone excited this year as well as they were hoping Scheffler would do the impossible and achieve a three-peat. But 2025 hasn’t been great for him. He has been struggling with his form since his return at Pebble Beach. At TPC Sawgrass, Scheffler finished at T20, 8 strokes away from the top. Well, with the way Rory won, Wagner had to go back on what he said, right? Yeah, and he did too.

The post ironically read “The 9-iron on 17 was one of the best shots of the entire week of @THEPLAYERS for @McIlroyRory and @johnson_wagner loves seeing players have to hit a variety of shots.” It seems that Wagner has come out complimenting McIlroy for his win. The attached video included what the reporter actually said about the Irishman.

Quoting Johnson Wagner; “To think about Rory McIlroy hitting that chippy 9-iron he said was a 147-yard. The hole’s playing 131 (yards). He hit a 147-yard shot. J.J. Spaun hit an 8-iron.” He compared how McIlroy was using the wrong iron on the 17th that would have landed the ball in the water. Ironically, Spaun’s 8-iron was the one that overshot while McIlroy’s landed on the green.

Complimenting McIlroy, he said “Being out there yesterday in that wind and trying to hit that shot. It’s no cupcake (not east) just to get that ball on the putting surface. So, I really think that shot Rory hit was one of the best shots he hit of the week.” Despite hitting the great shot, McIlroy ended up scoring a bogey. But as every fan would know, the 17th at TPC Sawgrass is one of the most difficult holes. And Spaun himself scored a triple bogey on it. So this makes McIlroy’s win that much sweeter.

So was Wagner’s criticism justified? Maybe it came from a place where he had disagreed with McIlroy’s opinion over the PIF-PGA Tour merger. After learning how the 28x PGA Tour winner was against the merger, the analyst had said “He’s trying to get his way in every way. I’m a huge fan of Rory, but he’s angering me right now.” Whatever the reason, Wagner has already retracted from his statement now.

The 9-iron on 17 was one of the best shots of the entire week of @THEPLAYERS for @McIlroyRory and @johnson_wagner loves seeing players have to hit a variety of shots.@GolfChannel | @Garywilliams1Up | @BrendonDeJonge | @PinehurstResort

Watch Full Show: https://t.co/H2Korwy72u pic.twitter.com/o2I2HVSUnR

— 5 Clubs (@5ClubsGolf) March 18, 2025

Rory McIlroy may have subconsciously proven Johnson Wagner wrong. But that is definitely not his primary goal. He has his eyes set on another big prize coming up in a few weeks. And McIlroy has already announced how he will be preparing for that. Let’s see what the latest reports say.

Rory McIlroy’s next big goal

Now, McIlroy moves on to his next big challenge, the Masters. All those years, the Green Jacket has eluded him. He has finished as a runner-up, and got some other top 10 finishes, but could never crack the code. This means the Irishman is not a grand slam champion, yet. But this year seems like it might finally happen. Winning 2 titles before April has given him the momentum, and the confidence. He’s in elite form going into Augusta National. And now, reports suggest that he also has a plan to prepare for the biggest test of his career.

The Rory Tracker account on X tweeted, “Rory says he’ll play one of the events in Texas before The Masters.” This confirms that the Irishman is set to make another appearance before he visits Augusta National. With the field for the Valspar Championship 2025 already out, McIlroy has only two options left. He can either play the Houston Texas or participate in the Valero Texas Open. He has played in both tournaments in the past, so it will be interesting to see which tournament he chooses.

Either way, do you think Rory McIlroy can prove his doubters wrong and finally capture the Masters Tournament this year? Let us know in the comments section.

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