Rick Shiels has identified exactly what Rory McIlroy is doing wrong when he’s hitting wedge shots

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Apart from an exciting run of holes at the Olympics, Rory McIlroy has largely struggled since his US Open heartbreak at Pinehurst No.2.

The Northern Irishman emphatically missed the cut at The Open before finishing four shots back of Scottie Scheffler at Le Golf National in the Olympic golf event.

Despite missing out in Paris, McIlroy was full of praise for the tournament after several players highlighted the electric atmosphere at the 2018 Ryder Cup venue.

YouTube star Rick Shiels has now examined McIlroy’s situation and assessed why he can’t quite compete at the elite level.

Rick Shiels highlights big weakness in Rory McIlroy’s game

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Shiels claimed McIlroy’s wedge game feels off and appeared to suggest that the Northern Irishman may be trying to hit the ball too hard with his approaches after watching his performance at Le Golf National.

The issue isn’t a flash in the pan. At The Open, McIlroy stunned golf fans after he played a genuinely awful approach into the par-five sixth.

YouTube personality Shiels delved into the issue in his latest podcast.

“He does seem to either absolutely stiff it to the point where it looks like it’s going to go in, or he does miss the green,” said Shiels. “I have noticed that. I don’t know his stats, but he does seem from that range; in my own opinion, regardless of whether it’s right or wrong, he always looks like he is hitting with not enough club and not hitting it really hard. That’s my professional opinion on it.”

Rory McIlroy’s Olympic stats tell a different story

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Shiels has perhaps based this claim off of the final round at Le Golf National because, by and large, McIlroy’s approach play was among the best in the field throughout the whole tournament.

During the second and third rounds, McIlroy picked up over two strokes on the field each day thanks to his wedge game.

However, on Sunday, the four-time major winner lost over 0.3 strokes. But, considering he still shot five under, it wasn’t a disastrous final-round performance. Yet, there are differences when comparing McIlroy’s approach stats to Scheffler’s.

The American consistently picked up shots on the field in each round, something the Northern Irishman failed to do. Ensuring consistency with his approaches over four rounds is a must for McIlroy if he wants to contend in the last three events of the PGA Tour season.