Rory McIlroy's 'messy life' amid Erica Stoll divorce saga blamed for struggles by ex-agent

Rory McIlroy's ex-agent Andrew "Chubby" Chandler has suggested that the golfer's off-the-green personal life turmoil might be impacting his game amid his struggles at The Open .

The Northern Irishman, who hasn't clinched a major title in 10 years , faced a setback after a shaky performance at Royal Troon following his Pinehurst collapse. The golf world was abuzz when, on the brink of the US Open , McIlroy and his spouse Erica Stoll halted their divorce proceedings, a shocking twist given that just a month prior, McIlroy had filed for divorce, citing an "irretrievably broken" marriage.

After winning the Wells Fargo Championship on May 12, McIlroy had swiftly moved to end his marriage, only for the couple to reconcile and try to put their past issues behind them. Now, with McIlroy's game suffering following a disappointing 78 leaving him at risk of not making the cut, Chandler weighed in on talkSPORT about how McIlroy's private life distractions could be affecting his ability to seize opportunities on the course.

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"The top, top players obviously play better more often, and then the really top players take their chances," Chandler remarked. "That's all that's happened with Rory. Rory's played fantastically for ten years, he just doesn't take any chances."

"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. You know what it's like as a sportsman, you have to have total focus and keep your mind on what you're doing."

"But 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, 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 ten years. So he just can't get away from it. I think his life is really messy."

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Last month, McIlroy seized a two-shot lead with five holes remaining as fans believed his 10-year major drought would end at the US Open. But the 35 year old agonisingly missed two short putts in a three-bogey run that opened the door for Bryson DeChambeau, who produced a moment of magic at 18 to win.

Once DeChambeau won, a despondent McIlroy wasted no time in exiting Pinehurst No. 2 as he struggled to come to terms with his collapse. He pulled out of several tournaments to spend time with his family, with his private life also going through a turbulent time.

Now, McIlroy posted a seven-over-par first-round performance and has struggled through the second round on Friday.