Xander Schauffele’s Blunt Message Has a Harsh Lesson for Rory McIlroy: “You’re Not Going to Luck Your Way…”

Coming off his 4th major win in 2014, Rory McIlroy was at the top of the world. As many would have imagined, he was ready to win many more majors in the coming years. But, the tale took an unexpected twist.

Ten years later, Rory McIlroy only dreams of achieving a similar level of success. Although he is incredibly consistent, he has not won a major in the past decade. The Irishman might not know why he is not able to find his major winning touch. But the comments of another high-ranked pro may have suggested what it is that the world no. 3 is missing.

The 2nd best in the world shares his viewsADVERTISEMENT

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If there are any pros that the world no. 3 should be looking at for inspiration, it should be those ranked higher than him. During The Smylie Show podcast with Smylie Kaufman, world no. 2 Xander Schauffele revealed how he has learned from his experience to win two major events in 2024.

The duo was discussing Schauffele’s run from 2018 to 2021. He went on a rampage in terms of stroke play but still only managed to win two trophies. After Schauffele explained his mentality during those days, Smylie raised a question that might interest McIlroy. He asked, “In those 4 years (2018-2021), was there a moment or situation that you look back on where you think, ‘Man, if I just would have been a little bit more aware of how close I was and how easily Xander Schauffele now could have closed out that major championship?’”

Schauffele responded, “Yeah, a little bit,” as he started to explain what actually happened. “You’re not going to luck your way into a major,” stated Schauffele. “You have to have all the shots. You have to be super comfortable hitting the shots under the gun.” Describing how he has been able to perform so well, the 31-year-old said, “You got to make important putts. You got to hit a certain distance.”

Schauffele went on to compare his performance in 2024 to that from 2018-2021. He said, “I had a lot of it (back then), but I don’t think I was really as good as I was mentally at that time. I don’t think I was ready mentally either.” Smylie clarified if Schauffele was talking about winning the majors. Schauffele replied, “Kind of,” as he continued with, “I was still trying to prove myself.” He was still quite new to the circuit and was gaining more experience. “I didn’t really know what it all meant,” admitted the American golfer. He shared how everyone was telling him “You’re gonna win a major soon cause you’ve been playing so well in them.” Schauffele responded to the comments with, “I just feel like I’m playing my game. I don’t really feel like I’m doing anything more or less.”

To put things into perspective, Xander Schauffele was always among the top players at every tournament. He was known for finishing at the top end of the table in nearly every tournament. He had a total of 21 top-10 finishes that included 6 runner-ups from 2018 to 21. He would go on an impressive run of play throughout the first 3 rounds but couldn’t get the job done on Sundays.

Schauffele confessed that he was lucky during that period as he said, “I just match up really well in the majors.” He shared that, “I wasn’t sitting there every night trying to imagine myself holding trophy,” as he admitted that he was still too inexperienced back then to be thinking about winning majors. Schauffele explained how his short-distance strokeplay wasn’t that refined back then. He said, “I had to be too perfect off the tee into the greens. I don’t think I was chipping well enough to compete at a higher level.”

After his 2nd major win in 2024, Schauffele’s father revealed that much credit for his son’s success goes to his new coach. In an interview for Sports Illustrated after Xander Schauffele’s The Open Championship 2024 win, Stefan Schauffele admitted that he coached and managed his son until 2023. But things changed late last year when Schauffele senior stepped away from his role and the pro hired Chris Como. An expert in golf mechanics, Chris was able to point out the errors Xander Schauffele was making in his strokeplay. The changes suggested by Chris seemed to have worked wonders as Schauffele, who had not won a single major before 2024, captured two prestigious titles in the span of a few months.

The incredibly insightful views of Schauffele can be helpful for any golfer who is going through a slump. Even if it is someone like Rory McIlroy who has had a vastly different journey as a pro than Xander Schauffele. Let’s explore McIlroy’s performance over the years and how he can start winning majors again using the world no. 2’s strategy.

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Rory McIlroy’s time for self-reflectionIn an article published on GolfWRX, David Leadbetter shared his insights on the lack of success Rory McIlroy has experienced over the last decade. He acknowledged the fact that McIlroy is one of the most naturally gifted golf players in the world, and he is always enjoyable to watch. Yet, it all boils down to various mental and physical factors that limit his own potential. David said that the Irishman tries too much and that often leads to a lack of consistency in technique. He went on to share how some of the most successful pros believe that their swing and ball control are “the catalyst that fuels their success.”

David further shared how inconsistent technique can affect iron play and that can be the difference between the best and the rest. The likes of Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and many other greats have had their iron play on point. However, Rory McIlroy’s short-distance gameplay leaves much to be desired. The article shared iron play accuracy stats that showed the numbers piled up by Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and the Tour average. It shows that the Wee-Mac’s performance with the iron is not as impressive, often dipping below the Tour average percentage.

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Rory McIlroy is in a different phase of his career than Xander Schauffele was back in 2018. But taking the latter’s approach into account might do good for the Irishman. Instead of indulging in major changes, Rory McIlroy should just go back to the basics and work on his 100 to 200-yard iron play to overcome the final hurdle. And as he has hinted towards a lighter schedule in 2025, he should have plenty of time to work on what’s needed to win many more majors in the coming years.

Do you think Rory McIlroy can benefit from following Xander Schauffele’s strategy, or would you suggest a different approach? Let us know in the comments section!