Rory McIlroy's 'messy life' is blamed for major struggles after Erica Stoll divorce saga

Rory McIlroy's personal life may be impacting his performance on the course, according to his former agent, Andrew 'Chubby' Chandler

McIlroy had a rough time at the recent tournament, carding a disappointing 78 after two rounds, which has cast doubt on his chances of clinching his first major title in ten years. The Northern Irishman's struggles followed a period of personal turmoil, including a near-collapse at the US Open amidst rumours of marital uncertainty. Just before the US Open, McIlroy and his wife Erica Stoll decided to halt their divorce proceedings.

This decision came after McIlroy had filed for divorce from Stoll the previous month, saying their marriage was "Irretrievably broken". Despite winning the Wells Fargo Championship on May 12, McIlroy's filing for divorce within a day raised questions about his state of mind.

Now, with his performance wavering at Royal Troon, where he's at risk of missing the cut after shooting seven-over, Chandler has voiced his concerns on talkSPORT about how McIlroy's off-course distractions could be affecting his game. Chandler remarked: "The top, top players obviously play better more often, and then the really top players take their chances. That's all that's happened with Rory. Rory's played fantastically for ten years, he just doesn't take any chances.

"Looking from the outside, and I haven't seen Rory for a couple of years, but to me it looks like his life is messy. You know what it's like as a sportsman, you have to have total focus and keep your mind on what you're doing.

"But it looks like Rory has spent a year and a half fighting LIV for the PGA Tour, then the PGA Tour pulled the rug from under him, then he started talking about LIV not being too bad, then he had his