Prior to the first round of The Masters at Augusta, Rory McIlroy jumped ahead of Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm as the favourite to win this year's competition.
Sadly for the four-time major winner, he wasn't able to add the long awaited Masters to his CV as he missed the cut after ending his second round on five-over-par.
The Down native had been heavily backed by golf experts and former players to finally get a green jacket of his own after his phenomenal start to the 2023 season and now the question is, why can't Rory McIlroy win at Augusta?
One man who spends a lot of time with McIlroy on and off the golf course is Shane Lowry.
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Lowry ended the 2023 Masters on two-under-par and while that may seem like a good score considering some of the names who failed to live up to expectations this week, the Offaly man will ultimately be disappointed after his bright start on Thursday.
Lowry on Rory McIlroy's underwhelming performance
Speaking after the final round on Sunday, Lowry was asked about his compatriot McIlroy's performance at Augusta.
Shane Lowry said:
To be honest, I felt like he was going to have a good week this week. I spent a lot of time with him over the last couple of weeks.
But that's golf. A lot of times you don't get what you deserve. It's obviously been very tough for him. Look, I'll catch up with him next week. I'm sure he'll get over it. I'm sure he's fine.
The former Open champion was then asked whether he had any advice for his close friend, to which he simply replied:
I'm not the one to give Rory McIlroy any advice.
Since failing to make the cut on Friday, McIlroy still hasn't spoken to the media or anyone on tour.
There's no doubt that McIlroy will bounce back, but that long awaited Masters win will be something that Rory will be desperate to put to bed in a year's time.
Meanwhile for the rest of the Irish contingent, Seamus Power ended The Masters on seven-over-par after shooting a five-over, round of 77 yesterday.
Power will be disappointed after his solid start during the first three rounds and his wonderful performance at the par-3 tournament earlier in the week, but there's plenty of positives to take for the Waterford man.
SEE ALSO: Lowry And Power Take Home Nice Pay Cheques Despite Poor Masters Finishes
