Rory McIlroy’s former manager, Chubby Chandler, has accused the PGA Tour star of becoming a "mouthpiece" for the popular circuit and blamed McIlroy’s disappointing finish at the Masters last week on the pressure the pro golfer seemingly places on himself to win.

"If you were a betting man, you would probably bet against him winning," Chandler told the British newspaper the i on Friday.

"He has made winning the grand slam [all four majors] a bigger thing in his head than it actually is. He is not really driven by number of wins or number of majors per se, but he seems to be driven by wanting to win the grand slam. It’s a massive mental block, and it’s getting harder and harder. Every time he gets there, he has the pressure from everyone else, but also from himself."