Brandel Chamblee questions Rory McIlroy’s major prep

A matter of inches cost Rory McIlroy that elusive fifth major title at the US Open.

His crushing loss at the hands of Bryson DeChambeau in June was, at large, a result of missing two short putts in the closing stretch at Pinehurst No.2.

But is there more to it than that? It wasn’t the Northern Irishman’s first near miss in majors as he looks for answers to end his ten-year drought.

Well, former PGA Tour winner and Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee questioned why McIlroy’s game “deteriorates” in big moments.

“It’s the most often asked question about any golfer,” he said, speaking of McIlroy on air ahead of the 152nd Open at Royal Troon. “Why does Rory’s game deteriorate in the biggest moments?”

In providing the only ‘logical’ explanation, Chamblee looked to McIlroy’s results in the ‘big four’ since he took home the Wanamaker trophy at the 2014 PGA Championship.

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From 37 starts, he has only been inside the top ten after 36 holes on 11 occasions, prompting the American to suggest McIlroy struggles when the pressure is on.

“When you look at what the best athletes do when they play to a higher level, they are being themselves.

“They are extraordinary athletes; they don’t have their minds cluttered up and, of course, their focus narrows the closer they get to the lead because of the confidence they get from that.

“So, it seems to me that Rory over time has enquired a lot from swing instructors or putting instructors or sports psychologists or deep dives from YouTube.

“With this generation, there is an epidemic of people doing deep dives on YouTube and getting cluttered up with curiosity.

“When I see Rory, it looks to me like he has either too many swing thoughts in his mind or he has too many voices in his head, it’s the only logical conclusion that I can draw.

“Why can one person be so obviously different getting into the lead or close to the lead and so obviously different when he has the lead.”

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McIlroy held a two-shot advantage over DeChambeau in North Carolina but carded a trio of bogeys in his final four holes to relinquish the lead.

He said it was ‘probably the toughest’ day of his 17-year career to date.

The 35-year-old returned from an extended break with a T4 finish at the Genesis Scottish Open last week.

A 10.09 tee time with Tyrrell Hatton and Max Homa awaits on Thursday, as McIlroy lines up an eighth bid for the Claret Jug since he lifted the prestigious prize at Royal Liverpool in 2014.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.