After the 2025 Travelers Championship, Rory McIlroy took a brief hiatus from the PGA Tour to rest “mentally.” And mentally, he did. Literally. When he finally showed up on camera at the 2025 Scottish Open, fans noticed McIlroy rocking a fresh new buzz cut that instantly brought Rowan Atkinson’s iconic characters to mind – Mr. Bean and Johnny English. He didn’t explain himself. As the Scottish Open came close to its end, fans thought he’d never break his silence or explain himself.
He has, though, and to Amanda Balionis, no less. Rory McIlroy, still very much in the mix at the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open, sat down with Balionis after his third round. So, when the topic of his fresh haircut came up, McIlroy explained to the popular CBS reporter: “You know, I’m getting a little gray as everyone probably knows. And I stupidly thought that by going shorter, it would take the grays out. And, if anything, it makes me look more gray.”
But Rory McIlroy still sees a silver lining in this situation and goes, “So, but it will grow back. That’s a good thing. It’ll be in perfect length for the Ryder Cup in September.” Over the years, McIlroy has sported plenty of iconic hairstyles, including curly hair during his younger years. However, now, Balionis joins in the fun and replies, “It could be the good luck haircut, depending on what happens here tomorrow.” McIlroy laughs and replies, “Who knows?”
And here’s the thing: McIlroy is playing extremely well at the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open. McIlroy shot a 65 in the second round, with six birdies and one bogey, to reach seven under par and four shots off the lead heading into the weekend. He followed that up with a 66 on Saturday, staying on top of the leaderboard.
Whether he wins or not, you’d be surprised to know that another PGA Tour pro has cracked up the golf world like Rory McIlroy did with his new avatar, at least when it comes to hairlines.
Jordan Spieth dealt with a receding hairline by cutting his hair short
It’s 2018, and Jordan Spieth’s fresh new haircut at The Open Championship has golf fans buzzing with theories. But the truth is, Spieth simply got a haircut from a new barber while in Scotland, who apparently went a bit shorter than he intended. “My hair got a little long, and I needed to get a haircut, so I did this morning,” Spieth explained to the PGA Tour. “…It was intended to be what I normally get, and instead he went a little shorter. Very British haircut. A little shaved on the sides, a little longer on top. It is what it is. Summertime, it works out.”
Spieth’s been good-natured about his receding hairline in the past, too. Comedian Larry David had joked back in 2016 that Spieth’s hair loss made him more relatable, saying, “He’s going to be a bald man. He’s going to be wildly bald. This makes him way more appealing to me.” And then added, “He’s 22. He’s got three years, maybe four. He’s done.”
Jordan Spieth took it in stride, saying, “Yeah, that was pretty funny… Hey, nothing I can do about it.” But Jordan Spieth has shown he can laugh at himself when it comes to his receding hairline. Back in 2015, he shared a photo with his girlfriend and shared a hashtag that read, “More Hair Than Me.”
In the past, Spieth even joked about his age and fatigue, saying, “My legs are a little tired, but all in all that happens… Kuchar is older than me, and he’s at the end of a four‑week stretch. And he kicked my butt today, so I’ve got some work to do.” Matt Kuchar had responded with a lighthearted jab of his own, saying, “I may be older, but we have similar hairlines.” Honestly, it looks like these hairline and gray hair jokes are here to stay!
