McIlroy Splits With Pete Cowen, Returns To Former Coach

Out with the new and in with the old, sort of. 

Rory McIlroy has split with swing coach Pete Cowen and is back working exclusively with long-time instructor Michael Bannon, as per a report in Golfweek.

“Yes, Michael and I are back working together,” McIlroy said. “I’ve always had a relationship with Pete and I’ll ask for his input if I feel I need it. But now it’s Michael and me.”

The Northern Irishman hooked up with Cowen - one of the most decorated coaches in the game - eight months ago, after developing some swing flaws as he attempted to keep pace with Bryson DeChambeau in the distance stakes. 

It proved a shrewd move initially as he picked up his third win at the Wells Fargo Championship after missing the cut at the Players Championship and then the Masters.

But that appeared to merely paper over the cracks in his game as he failed to reach anything like the form that vaulted him to World No. 1 before the Covid-19 shutdown.

Poor finishes at this year's PGA Championship and The Open further evidenced a golfer in decline, before the 32-year-old found himself outside the top 15 in the rankings for the first time since 2009.

An emotionally charged McIlroy then took his struggles to the Ryder Cup, where he was dropped for a session for the first time since his debut in the biennial contest back in 2010.

When all was said and done at Whistling Straits, McIlroy's record read 1-3-0 as Team USA inflicted a record-breaking defeat on their European counterparts.

That experience left its mark on the 32-year-old, who felt he had let his team down with his un-McIlroy-esque contribution, and subsequently broke down in tears after beating Xander Schauffele in his Sunday singles match.

That is the last time he and Cowen worked together and in his next appearance, McIlroy lifted silverware. It wasn't absolutely vintage Rory, but he was able to see off a strong field and capture his 20th PGA Tour title at the CJ Cup @ Summit. Golf, eh?

"I think for the last few months I was trying to be someone else to try to get better but realised that being me is enough and being me, I can do things like this," the man from Hollywood said in the immediate aftermath.

A few days later, McIlroy was back working with Michael Bannon, the instructor who has guided his progress since he was just a boy.

Where next from here?

McIlroy will play twice more in 2021: at next week's DP World Tour Championship in Dubai and the Hero World Challenge, which takes place in the Bahamas from December 2-5.