How many shots Rory McIlroy believes he could ‘easily’ save an amateur golfer if he became their caddie for a round

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Amateur golfers often seek technical improvements when looking to shave shots of their handicap.

And to some extent, this is the right path to follow. Finding more fairways, hitting more consistent chip shots, and making fewer three-putts will all improve your game.

However, the mental side of golf also needs to be considered. Amateurs very rarely consider the shot after the one they’re playing. Are they missing in the right spot? Is it an uphill putt? Are they avoiding the short side? These aspects get overlooked.

Rory McIlroy, speaking during a YouTube appearance three years ago, highlighted the importance of decision-making whilst on the course.

How many shots Rory McIlroy would save an amateur golfer

The Northern Irishman claimed that if he were in charge of an amateur’s decision-making, he would save them between five and ten shots per round.

“I think effective golf sometimes can be pretty boring, or in people’s minds, it can be pretty boring. Playing the shot that you know you can play or that you can pull off at least eight times out of ten,” McIlroy said.

“I think I see, I see amateurs so much trying to play outside of their comfort zone and trying to take on shots that they think they should hit instead of keeping the ball in play, you know, managing their games a little better, and that will produce lower scores.

“And yeah, sometimes it’s fun to take on shots that you might be able to pull off, but I think it’s even more fun to just shoot better scores. You know, I think that it’s a – there’s so many other parts of the game that you can do really well at. And yeah, just managing your game a little better. If I were to caddie for like an average player, I really feel like I could take five to ten shots off a round very easily.”

• READ MORE: Cam Smith gives simple putting lesson which will really help amateurs make far more putts

Conservative golf will result in lower scores

Being the hero often feels like an attractive option. Your ball is just under a tree, but you feel like you can still reach the green. Instead of playing for position, you take the shot, hit a branch and end up in precisely the same spot.

As McIlroy alludes to, conservative golf is good golf. If out of position, accept that bogey is the goal and if you make par, it’s a bonus.

Professionals often back themselves to make par if their tee shot finds trouble. A good recent example was Maverick McNealy during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open.

Despite finishing second, McNealy made a vital par on the 17th at Torrey Pines after finding trouble off the tee. The 29-year-old pitched back out into the fairway to a preferred number before hitting an exquisite putt. He was never going to make worse than a bogey, and par was also a possibility.