“Like telling your wife you want to live in different houses” - Rory McIlroy on his split-up conversation with his swing coach

Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy is one of the most prominent players in the circuit today. The four-time major champion currently holds the world no. 1 spot and has spent around 100 weeks leading the world rankings.

In 2021, he made a few changes in his coaching team. He parted ways with long-time swing coach Michael Bannon to begin working with Pete Cowen while maintaining that Bannon was still a part of his team. However, the news of the split got out before McIlroy spoke to Bannon about his decision, which made him feel terrible.

Changing coaches is never easy, and McIlroy had an interesting metaphor to describe it. He mentioned this situation while speaking to Paul Kimmage.

According to Golf.com, he said:

"It was a difficult conversation, like telling your wife you want to live in different houses for a bit. I said, 'I’m going on a different path for a while to figure a few things out, but nothing changes in our relationship.' But I know he was disappointed. It wasn’t handled well."

When Kimmage asked him what he meant by that, Rory McIlroy explained how his decision became public before he could converse with Michael Bannon.

"Golf is a small world. People talk. Things get out. It got out before I spoke to Michael, which is pretty s***e actually."

Kimmage pacified him, saying that wasn't his nature, and McIlroy agreed that it wasn't. He answered when Kimmage asked him how it all happened. McIlroy explained that he felt ashamed.

"It was a feeling of shame in a way. I felt ashamed that I was going down this other path and didn’t want to confront that part of it. It was like, 'Wait until you’re pushed into a corner, and you have to do it.' I basically didn’t have the balls to ring Michael and say, 'Look, this is what I’m doing.' That’s what it came down to. And thankfully he’s a good man and he understood but … it was a weird period."

While working with Pete Cowen, he won the Wells Fargo Championship. However, after eight months, Rory McIlroy returned to Michael Bannon. In November, he revealed that in an interview with Golf Week.

"Yes, Michael and I are back working together. 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."

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"So we both had Covid going into the Open" - Rory McIlroy thinks he gave Tiger Woods COVID-19

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods at The 150th Open - Previews (Image via Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Open Championship gave some memorable moments to golf fans this year. The coveted tournament celebrating its 150th year, saw legendary golfer Tiger Woods cross the Swilcan Bridge and tear up while walking down the 18th at St. Andrews.

Rory McIlroy also showed flashes of brilliance in his bout with Cam Smith but sadly fell short in the end.

While talking to Sunday Independent, McIlroy revealed that he might have given Tiger Woods COVID-19 before going into the tournament. He explained what had happened.

"Tiger needed a rest on Wednesday. We had played two days of golf at Adare, and the plan was to play Ballybunion on Thursday. I woke up that morning feeling a bit achy but didn't really think anything of it. JP (McManus) gave us his chopper, and we went down with (my manager Sean O'Flaherty) and Tiger's manager, Rob (McNamara). We got around fine, flew back to Adare for lunch and as I'm getting up from the table, I'm sore and stiff and super tired."

He told his wife Erica that he wasn't feeling well. When he called up Woods, the legendary golfer was feeling fine. However, it was later that he started feeling the chills. The message panicked Rory McIlroy.

"I said to Erica, 'I’m feeling a bit weird. I’m just going upstairs to lie down for a bit.' I slept for maybe two hours and the sweat was just pouring off me, then Erica took my temperature and it was sky high. I rang Tiger: 'I’m not feeling so good here.' And he goes, 'Oh, I feel OK.' But he texted me at 10 o’clock that night, chills, fever, and I’m like, 'F*****g hell, I’ve just given Tiger Covid! This is horrendous!' So we both had Covid going into the Open."

Rory McIlroy hasn't tested positive for COVID-19, and Woods hasn't commented on that either. However, McIlroy mentioned that he couldn't taste anything for a week, a common symptom of COVID-19. He added that everything smelled like vinegar to him.

"The whole week of The Open I didn't have any taste, and everything smelled like vinegar to me. Everything. It was really strange."