Rory Mcilroy- why he can't close out a golf tournament

[asugrad1988]

 

In August of 2017 at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Mcilroy fired his caddie JP Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald's replacement was Harry Diamond, Rory's best friend who had no professional caddie experience at all. Fitzgerald on the other hand, had caddied for Darren Clarke, Paul Mcginley and Ernie Els.

Since Diamond took over, Mcilroy was in the last group in these 7 tournaments:

2018 Masters

2018 WGC

2018 BMW

2018 Tour Championship

2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions

2019 WGC

2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational

and he was unable to close the deal.

 

I'm wondering if Mcilroy would have had a caddie with tour experience, a caddie who knew how to handle the pressure being in contention on Sunday, he might have won at least one of those six tournaments.

I'm wondering if Mcilroy is thinking about that too.

[third-times-a-charm]

"Hey Harry, I'm already a millionaire and I said I would take care of you - want to make some money and grab a few beers while I coast through the next decade?"

[Golfnutgalen]

I was curious which tournaments made up the 7 mentioned before.

 

It looks like out of the 7, 4 were from 3 strokes back while the others were 4, 2, and 1 behind. It's actually a bit surprising that he hasn't had any lead during this stretch.

[MMB1500]

Why?

 

- Mental fragility

- Trying too hard

- Too obsessed with outcome over process

- Mediocre wedge play

- Zero confidence on the greens

- Can't read greens properly

- Low make % in 2-4 ft range

- Caddie that won't stand up to him and talk him out of making poor course management choices

- Completely lost his confidence and mojo

 

Take your pick.

[dukeman]

Just Watched his second on 13 from yesterday on replay. He’s 113 yards out. Middle of the fairway. Pulls his sand wedge about 40 feet past the pin and over the green. That scenario happens a lot. That’s why he’s not winning.

[Barfolomew]

Fundamental mental putting issues..........and changing putters aint gonna help one bit........if he knew how to get his brain in the right place then it wouldn't matter what putter he uses

[Phreddy]

Molinari after his win (paraphrased), "Good ball striking can put you in contention, but you need to make putts to win. This was the best week of putting I've had."

 

Rory....Call Brad Faxon. Sticker won't help you until after 2020.

[MidwestGolfBum]

Just Watched his second on 13 from yesterday on replay. He's 113 yards out. Middle of the fairway. Pulls his sand wedge about 40 feet past the pin and over the green. That scenario happens a lot. That's why he's not winning.

 

Yep, he just doesn't seem have the distances dialed in with the shorter clubs. Every so often he gets on a roll and hits a few stiff, then it's gone again. When you aren't putting great and don't have wedge play to reduce those longer putts, it makes the game harder.

[ChronicSlicer]

Last I checked his caddie isn`t hitting poor shots.

[lowheel]

Just Watched his second on 13 from yesterday on replay. He's 113 yards out. Middle of the fairway. Pulls his sand wedge about 40 feet past the pin and over the green. That scenario happens a lot. That's why he's not winning.

 

His situational play and decision making is terrible right now.Alot like Jordan in that regard.Once that edge is not there its impossible to win unless youre a jack/tiger type whos just uber confident and can win with their b stuff

[VNutz]

When he's at his best he's got a very free flowing and unencumbered swing. When he can run away from the field and his confidence is up he looks like a world beater, but as soon as it gets tight he's a bit different.

 

It's not the caddie.

 

[ebrasmus21]

Just Watched his second on 13 from yesterday on replay. He's 113 yards out. Middle of the fairway. Pulls his sand wedge about 40 feet past the pin and over the green. That scenario happens a lot. That's why he's not winning.

 

His situational play and decision making is terrible right now.Alot like Jordan in that regard.Once that edge is not there its impossible to win unless youre a jack/tiger type whos just uber confident and can win with their b stuff

 

I really admire JT and his "dead hand" wedge swing. Seems to take a bunch of spin off and control the distances.

 

Rory could use that shot.

[youdamantiger]

Why?

 

- Mental fragility

- Trying too hard

- Too obsessed with outcome over process

- Mediocre wedge play

- Zero confidence on the greens

- Low make % in 2-4 ft range

- Caddie that won't stand up to him and talk him out of making poor course management choices

- Completely lost his confidence and mojo

 

Take your pick.

 

Why choose just one? I paid for the buffet, I'll take them all.

 

Just Watched his second on 13 from yesterday on replay. He's 113 yards out. Middle of the fairway. Pulls his sand wedge about 40 feet past the pin and over the green. That scenario happens a lot. That's why he's not winning.

 

If he had zipped that approach shot back to within 8 feet he would just miss the putt anyway. There's a lot of factors responsible for his inability to notch more wins the past four years, but zero confidence in the putter has to be near the top. His wedge play isn't that bad, it's just mediocre. He may be the best driver in the history of the game, he's at least in the top three. His short game is solid. But last year he was ranked 97th in strokes gained putting. With putting like that you're not going to get it done no matter how well you drive the ball.

 

He's also lost that intangible something that attends all great champions. It's ephemeral. No one knows what it is or how to get it, but when you have it every break seems to go your way. Every big time putt that has to go in drops. Chip-ins, hole-outs, miraculous up and downs. When you're in that zone, the gods, fate, will to win, whatever you want to call it, always smiles on you. Tiger had it. For one year Jordan had it. Rory had it and completely lost it. I remember in the 2014 PGA, he was down by three heading into the back nine. He decided to go for the green on the par five 10th and tugged it a bit, but instead of rolling into the heavy rough it bounded on to the green within 20 feet of the pin. Then he drained the putt. I shudder to think what a mess 2019 Rory would make of that hole.

[imakaveli]

Beer buddy as a caddie, already accomplished and gazillions in the bank. I would do the switch anytime though.

[Texas1]

Just Watched his second on 13 from yesterday on replay. He’s 113 yards out. Middle of the fairway. Pulls his sand wedge about 40 feet past the pin and over the green. That scenario happens a lot. That’s why he’s not winning.

 

Last time his wedge play was on point was when he won the FedEx cup.

 

It’s the BALL ? ? ?

 

He had the Nike ball and did he have the titleist wedges or am I dreaming that and he only had the Scotty

 

Nope Nike wedges

[sdandrea]

He's mental.......

[toc]

Only Choo knows

[redfirebird08]

"Hey Harry, I'm already a millionaire and I said I would take care of you - want to make some money and grab a few beers while I coast through the next decade?"

 

Closer to billionaire than millionaire, but valid point overall.

[bodhi555]

Just Watched his second on 13 from yesterday on replay. He’s 113 yards out. Middle of the fairway. Pulls his sand wedge about 40 feet past the pin and over the green. That scenario happens a lot. That’s why he’s not winning.

 

Last time his wedge play was on point was when he won the FedEx cup.

 

It’s the BALL ? ? ?

 

He had the Nike ball and did he have the titleist wedges or am I dreaming that and he only had the Scotty

 

Nope Nike wedges

 

He hasn't been a consistent world beater since Nike pulled out of hard goods tbh.

 

Maybe he just needs Mike Taylor's number? :)

[Hawkeye77]

So is this like being a bad pressure player?

[ebrasmus21]

Just Watched his second on 13 from yesterday on replay. He's 113 yards out. Middle of the fairway. Pulls his sand wedge about 40 feet past the pin and over the green. That scenario happens a lot. That's why he's not winning.

 

His situational play and decision making is terrible right now.Alot like Jordan in that regard.Once that edge is not there its impossible to win unless youre a jack/tiger type whos just uber confident and can win with their b stuff

 

I really admire JT and his "dead hand" wedge swing. Seems to take a bunch of spin off and control the distances.

 

Rory could use that shot.

 

For the record I could use that shot as well.

[tatertot]

"Hey Harry, I'm already a millionaire and I said I would take care of you - want to make some money and grab a few beers while I coast through the next decade?"

 

Closer to billionaire than millionaire, but valid point overall.

 

Rory's net worth looks like it is around $150 million ... To be closer to billionaire than millionaire, it would have to be $500+ million, so he's actually not even close.

 

But he's pretty right rich.

[MMB1500]

Some changes I would like to see McIlroy make to try and get his career back on track.

 

1) An entirely new team around him - new coach (maybe Cameron McCormick), new caddie (obviously), a/new sports psychologist, new putting coach and a green reading coach.

 

2) Ditch those awful TM putters and go and see David Edel to get properly fit for a putter that actually matches his shape preferences and aiming tendencies, then stick with it. Faffing around with a new putter every few weeks and automatically putting whatever latest monstrosity TM have released into the bag, has to stop. Notice how many of the best putters (Woods, Faxon, Stricker, Spieth) usually stick with one putter for the majority of their careers?

 

3) Go and see a specialist wedge coach, i.e. James Ridyard, or someone who can help him dial in his wedges (if not McCormick).

 

4) Ditch all the unnecessary extra-curricular stuff. This isn't a reference to his home life, but rather any commitments that detract from him being fully focussed on practicing and getting better. I mean, he's just started a regular podcast for crying out loud.

 

5) Find a way to get his old carefree attitude, swagger and self-belief back. These days when he's playing golf, he looks like he's carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. If that means emulating Gareth Cheeseman and shouting "You're a Tiger!" into the mirror 20 times a day, so be it. Anything that's going to restore his confidence and get him back to the way he used to play.

 

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[OBbogey5]

I think it’s the wedges, shortys, more than the putting, which needs some help too. But I’d start with 150 and in. And you know who changed the games of players from 150 and in and made them world beaters???... Rory, go see Butch.

[lowheel]

Just Watched his second on 13 from yesterday on replay. He's 113 yards out. Middle of the fairway. Pulls his sand wedge about 40 feet past the pin and over the green. That scenario happens a lot. That's why he's not winning.

 

His situational play and decision making is terrible right now.Alot like Jordan in that regard.Once that edge is not there its impossible to win unless youre a jack/tiger type whos just uber confident and can win with their b stuff

 

I really admire JT and his "dead hand" wedge swing. Seems to take a bunch of spin off and control the distances.

 

Rory could use that shot.

 

For the record I could use that shot as well.

 

Its the greatest shot in golf. A flighted/dead hand/sawed off wedge is like cheating as it holds up under pressure.When I teach that shot to students I show video of 2 players, Tiger & Phil. They mastered that shot and abused the tour with it.

Justin thomas as you mentioned chokes down and plays that shot all the time, Jordan as well. DJ and Woodland both huge hitters hit soft wedges 90% of the time.

 

When is the last time you saw Rory do this kind of swing in a pressure situation?

 

 

 

[lowheel]

 

[lowheel]

Another sexy sizzler! If Rory ever gained confidence with this shot...

 

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[rangersgoalie]

Based on my extensive background of closing out tournaments at the highest level,

I’m pretty confident saying that Rory needs to

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

............

[Josh L.]

What ever happened with Rory and Dave Stockton? He seemed to be putting his best when they were working together.

[MattyO1984]

Wait don't we already have this thread?!