Ryder Cup legend: I won't tell you what I tell my wife about 'PITA' Rory McIlroy

Ryder Cup legend Tony Jacklin has explained in detail why he is not picking Rory McIlroy to win the 151st Open Championship.

Ben Smith

22 Jun 2023

Ryder Cup legend: I won't tell you what I tell my wife about 'PITA' Rory McIlroy — Ryder Cup legend: I won't tell you what I tell my wife about 'PITA' Rory…

Tony Jacklin says Rory McIlroy is a 'pain in the a***' because he fails to live up to his potential at major championships.

Despite Jacklin acknowledging McIlroy's brilliance, the legendary Ryder Cup player and captain doesn't believe the Ulsterman will finally break his major hoodoo at the forthcoming 151st Open Championship.

McIlroy missed out to a surging Cameron Smith at St. Andrews and was reduced to tears in a golf buggy alongside his wife Erica Stoll.

It was a familiar tale of woe and déjà vu for the Irishman at the US Open as McIlroy struggled to hole a putt in his final round.

McIlroy recently had the opportunity to win the Canadian Open on the PGA Tour for the third time but fell down the leaderboard with a peculiar final round performance.

| Rory McIlroy says facing the media after the PGA Tour announced a deal with LIV Golf's Saudi backer was 'the most uncomfortable I've felt in the last 12 months'. pic.twitter.com/T3wZ8dnT7v
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) June 8, 2023

Jacklin pointed out that McIlroy's demeanour looked different during the final round in Canada.

He told the Sporting Post:

"Rory is a precocious talent, I wouldn't say he is out on his own as Scheffler is becoming a real player, but Rory? There's no better ball striker. But you just don't know what type of personality is going to turn up.

"I watched him at the Canadian Open and was surprised that none of the commentators noticed his body language wasn't the same on the last day."

Jacklin said that whilst McIlroy has experience at winning on links courses, he favours Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm or even Dustin Johnson to lift the Claret Jug next month.

Jacklin continued:

"I won't tell you what I say to my wife about him as I like Rory, I consider him a friend, but he is also a pain in the a*** when he doesn't fulfil his potential. He just makes it look so easy, that's the thing – fans like me lose the reality of how difficult it is.

"I wouldn't make him [McIlroy] my stand-out favourite [for the Open], no. I certainly think he is one of them – he has far more experience than most on links courses.

"But looking at [Jon] Rahm, [Dustin] Johnson and Scheffler, I wouldn't put Rory at the top of my list but he would be close."

McIlroy is in the field for the Travelers Championship this week. A number of PGA Tour stars have offered their thoughts once again on the shock deal with LIV Golf's Saudi backers.

Adam Scott revealed he was 'caught up emotionally' as he previously rejected LIV's advances.

Meanwhile Xander Schauffele used a soup analogy to explain it won't take much for the temperature to raise once again among the PGA Tour mebership.

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