Rory McIlroy's former coach point out 'fault' responsible for major drought

Rory McIlroy missed the cut at the Open last week, ensuring his decade-long major title drought continued after he agonisingly lost the U.S. Open to Bryson DeChambeau in June

By: irishmirror.ie

Jul 25 2024
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Rory McIlroy's former coach po

Rory McIlroy’s former swing coach Pete Cowen believes the Northern Irishman’s mental block is what is hurting him most at majors.

Last week, McIlroy entered the Open on the back of a solid outing at the Scottish Open, where he tied for fourth following a three-week break from PGA Tour action. However, his Open challenge got off to a poor start with a first-round 78.

The four-time major champion failed to drastically improve on Friday, shooting a second-round 75 to finish 11-over. The performance condemned McIlroy to miss the cut at Royal Troon as his 10-year drought for major success continues.

“Once I made the eight, I was thinking about where I was going on vacation next week,” McIlroy admitted afterward. While he has not won a major since the 2014 PGA Championship, McIlroy has tallied 21 top-10 finishes without getting over the line.

Cowen believes there may be technical flaws in McIlroy’s game, but it is the mental block that is chiefly denying him in majors. At Pinehurst No. 2, McIlroy dropped three shots in his last four holes, missing short putts on 16 and 18 to blow a two-shot advantage down the stretch in an agonizing U.S. Open defeat to Bryson DeChambeau.

Speaking to bunkered.co.uk, Cowen said: “He’s got the same fault all the time. The good thing about it is it’s the same fault, but that’s also the bad thing about it.

“He knows exactly what he does. He drops (the club) under a bit and starts flipping it a bit and doesn’t get under any pressure on it so struggles with the ball flight. But he knows he’s had the same problem for a long time. He does address it and sometimes when he’s addressed it he plays great and wins.

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Rory McIlroy has not won a major title since the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla (Image: Getty Images)

“These guys are so good so most of it is down to the mental side of the game. Expectations come into it. Course setup comes into it for certain players because when the course is set up for certain players, it doesn’t suit other players. Everybody says Augusta suits him because he hits a draw but Nicklaus won six times there and he’s a fader.”

Cowen worked with McIlroy over eight months back in 2021. He believes the four-time major champion will secure another title, but expressed concern given the unpredictable nature of golf.

McIlroy recently opened up on his US Open heartbreak. Speaking to The Guardian before his disappointment at The Open, he said: "You have to be an eternal optimist. Say you play 25 events a year and win three of those. You are one of the best players in history. We lose way more than we win.

"Yes, I was in a great winning position and should have won but it’s not the first time I have let something slip away," he continued, as he kept level head about his heartbreak back in June. "It’s probably not going to be the last. You have to look at it on the continuum. It was tough but it is one tournament.

"I play 23-25 per year. You have to keep going. The great thing about this game is you have an opportunity to get back on the horse right after a tough loss. You try to learn from it and do better next time."