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Rory McIlroy’s former manager, Chubby Chandler, has accused the PGA Tour star of becoming a “mouthpiece” for the popular circuit and blamed McIlroy’s disappointing finish at the Masters last week on the pressure the pro golfer seemingly places on himself to win.
“If you were a betting man, you would probably bet against him winning,” Chandler told the British newspaper the i on Friday.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and his manager Andrew “Chubby” Chandler talk during the pro-am event prior to The Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles Aug. 27, 2008, at the Gleneagles Hotel and Resort. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
“He has made winning the grand slam [all four majors] a bigger thing in his head than it actually is. He is not really driven by number of wins or number of majors per se, but he seems to be driven by wanting to win the grand slam. It’s a massive mental block, and it’s getting harder and harder. Every time he gets there, he has the pressure from everyone else, but also from himself.”
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McIlroy, who was represented by Chandler from 2007 until their unharmonious split in 2011, missed the cut at Augusta National after a second-round 77 left him 5 over for the championship.
His goal of completing the career Grand Slam would have to wait another year.
Chandler seemingly pointed to McIlroy’s recent actions on the PGA Tour as problematic.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and caddie Harry Diamond react on the eighth green during the second round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club April 7, 2023, in Augusta, Ga. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
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“To me, he has got carried away as mouthpiece of the PGA Tour. He is doing things he shouldn’t be doing and opening his mouth too often,” he told the newspaper.
“The interview on the fairway [at the Masters], absolutely brilliant TV, but not good for Rory McIlroy. You can’t be having a chat with a guy in the commentary box about the day and the way he is playing, or whatever, then get over a wedge and give it 100%. You would never have got [Jack] Nicklaus doing it.
“You would never have got Tiger [Woods] doing it.”
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Tiger Woods of the United States during The Match 7 at Pelican Golf Club Dec. 10, 2022, in Belleair, Fla. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images for The Match)
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Chandler’s comments follow reports that McIlroy may have to forfeit $3 million of his $12 million in Player Impact Program (PIP) earnings after withdrawing from a designated event for the second time this season.
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