Rory McIlroy's former coach shares one key reason why Irish golfer is struggling

Pete Cowen, the former swing coach of Rory McIlroy , suggests that there is one specific thing hindering the Northern Irish golfer's performance at major tournaments .

Cowen says that he feels that it's a mental block rather than technical flaws that are slowing McIlroy down in recent months.

McIlroy entered the Open last week on a high note, having tied for fourth place at the Scottish Open following a three-week hiatus from PGA Tour action. However, his Open campaign got off to a rocky start with a first-round score of 78.

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The four-time major champion didn't fare much better on Friday, shooting a second-round 75 to finish 11-over. This lacklustre performance resulted in McIlroy missing the cut at Royal Troon, extending his decade-long drought for major success.

"Once I made the eight, I was thinking about where I was going on vacation next week," McIlroy confessed afterwards. Despite not having won a major since the 2014 PGA Championship, McIlroy has managed to secure 21 top-10 finishes without clinching victory.

While Cowen acknowledges that there may be some technical issues in McIlroy's game, he believes it's primarily a mental block that's preventing him from succeeding in majors. At Pinehurst No, reports the Mirror .

2, McIlroy lost three shots in his final four holes, missing short putts on the 16th and 18th holes, which cost him a two-shot lead down the stretch in a heartbreaking US Open defeat to Bryson DeChambeau.

In an interview with bunkered.co.uk, Cowen stated: "He's got the same fault all the time. The good thing about it is it's the same fault, but that's also the bad thing about it."

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"He knows exactly what he does. He drops (the club) under a bit and starts flipping it a bit and doesn't get under any pressure on it so struggles with the ball flight. But he knows he's had the same problem for a long time. He does address it and sometimes when he's addressed it he plays great and wins."

"These guys are so good so most of it is down to the mental side of the game. Expectations come into it. Course setup comes into it for certain players because when the course is set up for certain players, it doesn't suit other players. Everybody says Augusta suits him because he hits a draw but Nicklaus won six times there and he's a fader."

Cowen worked with McIlroy over eight months back in 2021. He believes the four-time major champion will secure another title, but expressed concern given the unpredictable nature of golf.

McIlroy recently opened up on his US Open heartbreak. Speaking to The Guardian before his disappointment at The Open, he said: "You have to be an eternal optimist. Say you play 25 events a year and win three of those. You are one of the best players in history. We lose way more than we win."

"Yes, I was in a great winning position and should have won but it's not the first time I have let something slip away," he admitted, reflecting on his June disappointment with a level head. "It's probably not going to be the last. You have to look at it on the continuum. It was tough but it is one tournament."

"I play 23-25 per year. You have to keep going. The great thing about this game is you have an opportunity to get back on the horse right after a tough loss. You try to learn from it and do better next time."

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