Although Rory McIlroy has tried to put his infamous collapse at the U.S. Open behind him, those once close to the golfer are now shedding light into the situation — which may have been related to his then-ongoing divorce dispute.
McIlroy’s former agent, Andrew “Chubby” Chandler, speculated that the golfer may not have been entirely focused on the links.
“Looking from the outside, and I haven’t seen Rory for a couple of years, but to me it looks like his life is messy,” Chandler told the Daily Mail. “You know what it’s like as a sportsman, you have to have total focus and keep your mind on what you’re doing.”
McIlroy had filed to divorce wife Erica Stoll in May but later revoked the decision, a saga that followed him into his near-victory at Pinehurst No. 2 in mid-June.
The 35-year-old bogeyed three of the final four holes — the 15th, 16th and 18th — to allow Bryson DeChambeau to pass him and extend McIlroy’s major drought.
Aside from his temporary split from Stoll, Chandler suggested that McIlroy’s battle with the PGA Tour may also have had negative effects.
“It looks like Rory has spent a year and a half fighting LIV for the PGA Tour, then the PGA Tour pulled the rug from under him,” Chandler told the outlet.
“Then he started talking about LIV not being too bad, then he had his marriage problems, and then he’s got such media scrutiny because he hasn’t won a major in 10 years.”
The world’s No. 2 golfer may have carried over the ill effects of his U.S. Open disaster to the British Open at Scotland’s Royal Troon.
McIlroy shot 13-over-par through his first nine holes Friday and is a certainty to miss the cut.
Aside from via Chandler, the Northern Irishman faced other negative press earlier in the week.
McIlroy’s caddie, Harry Diamond, has been put in the crosshairs of the golf media world following McIlroy’s unceremonious finish and exit from the U.S. Open.
With two days left of competition, McIlroy will need to turn things around in a major way to avoid prolonging his aforementioned spell without winning a major.