Sports television personality Skip Bayless has criticised Rory McIlroy during the final round of the Masters Tournament.
McIlroy is vying for his second consecutive Green Jacket after finally completing the career Grand Slam last year.
He had a six-shot lead after 36 holes, the biggest in Masters history, but he entered Sunday level with Cameron Young at -11.
Bayless has now questioned whether McIlroy has the right mentality to get over the line again at Augusta National.
Skip Bayless does not believe in Rory McIlroy’s ‘killer instinct’ at The Masters
McIlroy’s mentality has often been questioned since he won his first four majors between 2011 and 2014.
It took the Northern Irishman over a decade to win his fifth major at The Masters last year, with many near misses along the way.
Even though he finally achieved his ultimate goal 12 months ago, Bayless remains unsure about his ‘killer instinct’.
“Rory seems like a really nice guy, maybe too nice,” Bayless posted about the defending champion on social media.
“He has the best swing flexibility/rhythm I’ve seen since [Sam] Snead, generating as much small-man power as any golfer ever at 5’9”, 165 [lbs].
“But I still don’t love or trust his flimsy intangibles, his killer/thriller instinct.”
While McIlroy may not be as clutch as some players, such as Scottie Scheffler, it is probably unfair to suggest he has a weak mentality.
After all, he did win three tournaments last season (The Masters, the Players Championship, and the Irish Open) via a playoff hole.
Skip Bayless wants Scottie Scheffler to win The Masters
Bayless announced on X that he wants Scheffler to win his third Green Jacket on Sunday afternoon.
After a difficult first two days at Augusta, the world number one has improved over the weekend and entered the fray.
Bayless explained how two instances of misfortune prevented Scheffler from having an unbelievable scorecard on Saturday.
“Scottie Scheffler had a Masters round for the ages going yesterday when a mud ball on his 2nd to 13 and a weird gust on his 2nd to 15 cost him eagle or birdie on the back-9 par 5s,” he wrote.
“4 back as he tees off now, I still love his chances today. He will compete. I will root.”
After his third-round 65 (-7), Scheffler has given himself an excellent chance of receiving the Green Jacket from McIlroy.
