Rory McIlroy skips formal pre-championship presser for second straight major

HOYLAKE, England – For the second consecutive major, Rory McIlroy will skip his pre-tournament press conference.

McIlroy was scheduled to speak with the assembled media at 9 a.m. local time Tuesday, but R&A officials announced Monday that he will no longer participate. McIlroy will likely still speak to reporters in the run-up to the 151th Open – it just won’t be in an official capacity.

Now ranked second in the world after his rousing victory Sunday at the Scottish Open, McIlroy won The Open when it was last held here at Royal Liverpool in 2014. A month later, he captured the PGA Championship for his fourth major championship by the age of 25. He's been stuck on that number ever since.

McIlroy…