Rory McIlroy endured a disappointing few days at Royal Troon.
Pete Cowen, Rory McIlroy’s previous coach, has emphasized that McIlroy struggles with handling pressure, pointing out a technical issue that arises when he is under scrutiny.
After suffering a painful loss at the US Open last month, McIlroy arrived at Royal Troon in excellent form. However, his performance did not meet expectations as he finished 11-over after two rounds, dashing any hopes of ending his drought at The Open.
The Northern Irishman has not secured a major victory since 2014, and Cowen attributes this decade-long disappointment to the immense pressure McIlroy is facing. According to Cowen’s statement to Bunkered, “There is a significant amount of pressure on Rory…”
He definitely got the short end of the stick with the draw, but you would have expected him to handle his game better in that situation. If you make some risky shots there, you’re going to suffer the consequences.
The longer the gap between major tournaments, the more challenging it becomes. It’s almost like starting from scratch when you win again, you have to reset. That seems to be his issue. The expectations of winning the Masters and the Grand Slam have really weighed heavily on him.
Cowen proceeded to discuss McIlroy’s consistent display of the same technical “flaw” under pressure, emphasizing that it is unfortunate that McIlroy is solely focused on the Masters tournament, as other tournaments also deserve the participation of top players.
He proceeded to mention that he has the same weakness consistently. The advantage is that it’s always the same weakness, but on the other hand, that’s also the disadvantage of it.
He is fully aware of his actions. He slightly lowers (the club) and begins to flip it a bit, without feeling any pressure, which affects the ball flight. However, he acknowledges that he has been facing the same issue for quite some time. He does try to address it, and there are times when he successfully addresses it, leading to great performances and victories.
These athletes are incredibly skilled, so a big part of their performance is determined by the mental aspect of the game. Expectations play a significant role. Additionally, the course setup can greatly impact certain players, as when a course is tailored to specific players, it may not be suitable for others.
Augusta is frequently cited as a good match for him because of his draw, yet Nicklaus, who fades, has won there six times. McIlroy has experienced a rollercoaster of a season, both on and off the course, and it remains to be seen if he will be able to put an end to his major drought in 2025 once the external noise diminishes.
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