Brandel Chamblee has claimed that the Masters brings out "the worst golf" in Rory McIlroy for one reason or another.
The first major of the year returns to Augusta National Golf Club next Thursday, and many golf fans will hope to see McIlroy continue his incredible run of form this season when he arrives on the fairways and greens of Georgia. The 35-year-old has already won twice on the PGA Tour in 2025, snagging the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, as well as last month's Players Championship.
But broadcaster Chamblee believes that if historic performances are anything to go by, McIlroy could struggle at the Masters. Speaking on an NBC conference call on Tuesday, Chamblee said: "To continue this Devil Wears Prada theme going a little bit further, I would say that Augusta National is the Miranda Priestly to Rory McIlroy's Andrea Sachs. It is literally his nemesis.
"It brings out the worst golf in Rory annually that we see. It was his worst golf last year in the majors, his worst the year before, two years before that it was his worst golf. He annually underperforms there.
"He hits on average about 42 greens. On average, the winner hits about 52. There are things about that golf course that have been very problematic for him."
Noting the pressure of one of golf's most prestigious tournaments, he added: "You can’t just act like this is any other golf tournament. It is not like any other golf tournament. For a lot of the golf world, it is the single most important four days they will have, so it’s not like every other golf tournament.
"But at the same time, you cannot allow yourself the luxury of looking ahead. Just look at the last six years, what Rory has done in the first round. The winner here averages sixth place after the first round.
"Rory has shot 71, 72, 73, 76, 75, 73 the last six years to begin the Masters. That’s mostly mental." With two PGA Championships, a US Open and an Open Championship to his name, the Masters is the only major that McIlroy is yet to achieve over the course of his decorated career.
It comes as McIlroy recently admitted that his elbow has been bothering him headed into the tournament - something that some fans worry may impact his ability to perform at his best. Speaking to The Golf Channel, McIlroy said: "My right elbow has been bothering me a little bit so I'll maybe just get some treatment on that and make sure that is OK going into Augusta.
"I've got my coach Michael Bannon coming in [on Monday], we'll do some work and make sure everything is in good shape for a week's time." Having failed to snag a major title since the 2014 PGA Championship in Valhalla, McIlroy may feel pressure on his quest to bag a lucrative modern Grand Slam of all four majors - with hopes of joining a club made up of just Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Gene Sarazen.
However, Phil Mickelson believes that the current World No. 2 should be able to get the job done, explaining the pressure surrounding him: "That's challenging, but he's done it so many times in his ability to win tournaments. He's been able to compartmentalize that. I don't think that's going to be an issue for him."
Over 16 appearances at the Masters, McIlroy has finished in the top ten on just seven occasions, with last year's outing bare witness to a T22 finish alongside Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley and Patrick Cantlay, to name a few, with an overall score of four-over-par. The closest the Northern Irishman has come to winning a green jacket as of yet was in the 2022 season, where he secured a second-place finish - three strokes behind current World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler with a score of seven under. The Masters takes place between Thursday, April 10 and Sunday, April 13.