• European Tour

McIlroy to seek mental guidance from new coach

ESPN staff
February 16, 2010
Rory McIlroy has made no secret of his frustration © Getty Images
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Rory McIlroy is to employ a mental coach to help him convert early-round leads into Tour victories. The 20-year-old has admitted that he is frustrated to have only recorded one tournament win, at 2009's Dubai Desert Classic.

His problems were in evidence in this year's Dubai competition, where he was top of the leaderboard for the majority of the first two days before fading to finish sixth.

"Most guys go to see mental coaches when they're playing poorly, but I want to be able to turn these top fives and top threes into wins," McIlroy said. "It can't hurt. It's something I'm definitely going to do. I think that getting someone on the mental side might enable me to get to that stage."

McIlroy's faith in his technique has not faltered, however, and he insists that persistent back troubles will not force him to change his swing.

The World No. 7 was in such discomfort after Dubai that he sought the advice of a specialist, who diagnosed a slight nerve impingement that will not prevent him playing in this week's Match Play Championship in Arizona.

"I can't change. I've done this since I was two years old. [The pain] comes and goes. If I play a couple of weeks in a row it's fine. Three and I can feel it a little bit. The fourth week it starts to hurt."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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