Rory McIlroy has not won a major for a decade, with his last major triumph being in 2014. Desperate to clinch a victory at this year’s Masters Tournament and complete his grand slam, the Northern Irishman sought help from Tiger Woods‘ former coach, Butch Harmon.
Reflecting on the same, McIlroy stated that he went to meet Harmon and consult with him regarding their strategy.
“I went last week to see Butch Harmon for a golf lesson.”
He continued to talk about how this wasn’t the first time he had asked for advice from Harmon. Even in the past, he met the coach and consulted him regarding his golf skills.
Rory McIlroy has sought advice from Tiger Woods’ former coach Butch Harmon as he looks to win a maiden Masters title next week.#themasters #golf pic.twitter.com/BfbaxLEvGQ
— Fen Regis Trophies (@FenRegis) April 5, 2024
“I’ve seen him over the years, like once every few years. I’ll say, ‘Hey, Butch, can I just come see you and you can take a look and see what you think’.”
But why did McIlroy choose Harmon for advice before the Masters?
Rory McIlroy’s Reason Behind Choosing Butch Harmon For Advice
Harmon helped Woods in his first eight major victories, and quite evidently, that became a major reason why McIlroy sought expert advice for his next major venture. McIlroy said that he knew Butch since he was 14 years old and if he ever required a second opinion on his golf skills, it’d be Harmon. The coach’s words were the ultimate advice Rory would follow.
McIlroy also added that choosing Harmon was best for him. The guy is not just a coach, but a psychologist as well. Since golf is a mental game, Rory can rely on Harmon completely.
“He’s sort of half golf coach, half psychologist in a way. It’s fun to go out there, I went and spent probably four hours with him in Vegas. He said a couple of things to me that resonated.”
Apart from McIlroy and Woods, Harmon also coached Phil Mickelson and Greg Norman for majors. Previously, McIlroy worked with Michael Bannon and Pete Cowen, but nobody’s assistance worked for the nine unsuccessful attempts to clinch the Masters title and complete his grand slam. Thus, McIlroy finally went ahead and sought advice from the best.
