Rory McIlroy has been criticised by his former agent for his ‘unwarranted remarks’ ahead of The Masters where he insisted he would not play the Champions Tour.
The golfing maestro is preparing for one of the biggest weeks of his career ahead of the Augusta tournament, which gets underway on April 10.
McIlroy has been made one of the favourites to win the competition, alongside Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa and Bryson DeChambeau.
But if McIlroy does finally claim victory in Georgia on Sunday, it would be his first major win since 2014 when he landed the PGA Championship.
Rory McIlroy is one of the favourites to win The Masters this year
Reuters
It might comes as a surprise to some but there are those who believe that McIlroy has one eye on retirement despite being 35.
In 15 years, he will be eligible to play at the Champions Tour – a PGA Tour competition open to golfers age 50 and over.
But McIlroy shut down any chances of him taking part in the competition in 2040 – comments that have since received backlash from his former agent Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler.
When asked how many years left at the top McIlroy has, Chandler told Sportsbook Review: “I would say another seven or eight for sure.
“But he’s not going to play the Champions Tour, is he? If you read that, it was the most unwarranted remark.
“Somebody asked him about playing the Champions Tour in 15 years time and he said ‘no, I don’t think I’ll need to, and I definitely won’t.’
“Everybody came back and Ernie Els said you’ll feel different in 15 years time so why make that comment?”
McIlroy has looked in fine form in the build-up to The Masters, winning The Players Championship last month and looks in a confident mood.
And Chandler has backed the Northern Irishman to win more majors if he goes on to land his first Green Jacket.
Rory McIlroy has been backed to win more majors if he takes home The Masters
PA
The 72-year-old added: “Rory [McIlroy] will win The Masters, and if he does win we’ll see an unbelievably relaxed Rory who can win even more.
“I’d love to see Rory, Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau in contention, and I’d like Jake Knapp to be just behind them as my long shot for Augusta.
“When Rory is in free flow, no one can beat him.”
McIlroy was regarded as one of the best golfers on the planet during the early 2010s when he won four majors – winning the 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 PGA Championship, 2014 Open Championship and 2014 PGA Championship.
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Rory McIlroy has not won a major since 2014
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It saw him join an exclusive club, joining Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as one of three players to win four majors by age 25.
However, since then, the majors have proved a stumbling block for the Holyrood-born star – dropping as low as 20th in the world rankings in 2020.
McIlroy arrives at Augusta ranked second in the world, behind Scheffler, who has made The Masters one of his favourite tournaments with two victories in 2022 and 2024.
Woods was the last person to retain The Masters when he won in 2001 and 2002, making it 23 years since someone achieved the feat.
