Smylie Kaufman shares why he’s concerned for Rory McIlroy at the BMW Championship after what he’s heard happen this week

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Rory McIlroy is looking to put his dreadful St Jude Championship outing behind him as the BMW Championship gets underway at Castle Pines in Colorado.

The Northern Irishman fell to fifth in the FedEx Cup standings after finishing nine over for the tournament in Memphis.

Now, in Denver, McIlroy was seen hitting huge drives during his practice rounds as he looks to bounce back and put himself in a promising position to land his fourth Tour Championship title.

Smylie Kaufman raises Rory McIlroy concern at the BMW Championship

• READ MORE: Rory McIlroy has disagreed with a comment Scottie Scheffler has recently made about the FedEx Cup

Smylie Kaufman, one of golf’s well-known commentators, has been speaking on McIlroy’s chances, and the American is concerned with how the four-time major winner will control his approach shots at Castle Pines.

“From some of the numbers I’ve heard, his nine iron is going like 185, 190. His four-iron was apparently going up to 280 yards. These are just things I’ve heard about the numbers he’s hit this week,” Kaufman said.

He added: “I do worry a little bit about Rory this week with his short iron game. It’s going to be really important to be able to hit numbers within five yards because of how tight some of these landing areas are, so if you get offline with that as well. If he isn’t comfortable with the number and starting line with some of these wedge shots that could lead to some easy bogeys and doubles.”

Rory McIlroy needs to end 2024 on a high

McIlroy hasn’t responded well to his US Open heartache at Pinehurst. The Northern Irishman went into radio silence after Bryson DeChambeau’s dramatic victory, and the loss is clearly still impacting him.

There’s a part of McIlroy that is perhaps desperate for the 2024 season to end. Working on his game during the off-season and getting himself into peak condition for the Masters is probably at the top of his agenda.

Yet, in order to fend off what is a growing list of critics, there’s every chance McIlroy is absolutely desperate to end his season on a high and, at the very least, challenge for another FedEx Cup crown.

The Northern Irishman has all the tools to succeed; it’s about managing his emotions better in the most pressurised situations, both on and off the course.