Not the time for Rory to press panic buttons

If Rory is to avoid any major long-term slump in form, he must accept some “tough love” from those around him trying to offer good advice. He must address the obvious flaws.

Yesterday was a day to get the formalities over as quickly as possible for a dejected Rory McIlroy. He would, of course, attempt to be as professional as possible in everything he did, but little mattered now that he was no longer in a competitive position in the Open Championship. Once again, as seems to be the case all too often this year, the world’s second ranked player would find himself in the unenviable position of having to defend his latest shortcomings to a packed media centre.

True to form, he would be honest in his evaluation but surely there is little more that he could add to his recent withering assessment of his performances. “Lost and brain dead” speak volumes for where Rory’s mind is at the moment, and this torment is only exasperated all the more by the fact this is another major championship week.