Rory McIlroy’s former coach explains his major problem

Rory McIlroy’s Major Drought Continues: A Decade of Disappointment

Rory McIlroy’s quest for another major championship remains elusive, as his disappointing performance at The Open at Royal Troon marked a decade since his last major victory. The 2014 PGA Championship winner has struggled to replicate his success, with 21 top-ten finishes in majors since then, but no titles to show for it.

Esteemed swing coach Pete Cowen, who worked with McIlroy in 2021, believes the pressure is mounting on the Northern Irishman. “There’s a lot of pressure on Rory,” Cowen said. “He did get the worst part of the draw, but you did think he’d have been able to manage his game around there.” Cowen acknowledges that the longer McIlroy goes without winning a major, the harder it becomes. “It’s like winning again, you’ve got to start again almost, reset.”

Cowen insists that McIlroy’s struggles are largely mental. “Everybody watches him hitting balls on the range, and I said, ‘Well, that’s alright, all your focus is there on the range,'” Cowen explained. “But when you get on the course, the blinkers start opening up. You’ve got five or ten minutes between each shot, and that’s when the brain starts thinking of other things. It’s not easy to switch back on and hit the shot.”

McIlroy’s familiar technical flaw, dropping the club and flipping it, can be exposed under pressure. However, Cowen believes this is a symptom of a larger mental block. “He’s got the same fault all the time,” Cowen said. “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.”

Cowen defends McIlroy’s caddie, Harry Diamond, against criticism for his role in the Pinehurst collapse. “Harry is a great lad and a good caddie,” Cowen said. “He’s not hitting the shots. The responsibility comes down to the player all the time.”

The question persists: will McIlroy eventually win another major? Cowen remains optimistic. “If I had to put money on it, I’d say yes, but golf’s a funny game,” he said. “You get a good break, and all of a sudden, you could win two or three in a row.” However, Cowen acknowledges that the stage fright and pressure of majors can be overwhelming. “Some players can put the blinkers on all the way round for five hours, but a lot of people can’t put the blinkers on.”