Rory McIlroy's former agent Chubby Chandler has expressed serious reservations about the world No.2's prospects at next month's US Open, predicting the Shinnecock Hills venue will not play to his strengths.
Chandler, who represented the Northern Irishman from 2007 to 2011, believes anticipated course conditions will work against the five-time major champion.
"No, I don't think Shinnecock suits him to win at the US Open," Chandler told CanadaCasino. "It's probably going to be fast, it's probably going to be windy. I would say it's doubtful he gets the conditions that would suit him."
The 37-year-old last claimed the US Open title in 2011.
Rory McIlroy has been told he will not be able to play to his strengths at the US Open
| GETTYChandler has long held the view that McIlroy performs below his best when courses present firm, fast-running conditions.
This theory appeared to be validated at the recent PGA Championship, where the Holywood native struggled significantly with his driver at Aronimink.
"I've always had this idea about Rory: he never plays firm, fast courses well. That seemed to bear that up this time," Chandler explained.
The former super-agent noted that McIlroy was finding only four or five fairways per round, spending considerable time in the rough.
"The driver let Rory down," Chandler said. "You only have to look at the winner and he was hitting a lot of fairways."
Chubby Chandler was Rory McIlroy's agent when he last won the US Open in 2011
|GETTY
Despite his concerns about Shinnecock Hills, Chandler remains bullish about McIlroy's long-term major championship prospects.
"I definitely think he'll win more than a couple of majors," he stated.
The former agent pointed to McIlroy's exceptional length off the tee as a significant weapon when course setups allow him to utilise it effectively.
"The advantage of hitting it 328 yards is massive, but not if you're hitting it in the cabbage all the time," Chandler observed.
He noted that McIlroy's recent Masters victories came during spring conditions, when greens and fairways tend to be softer and more receptive.
"He's going to get another 20 or 30 chances to win a major, and they're not all going to be like that."
McIlroy completed the career grand slam last year | GB NEWSChandler worked with McIlroy during the early years of his professional career, a period that included the golfer's breakthrough US Open triumph at Congressional.
McIlroy has previous experience at Shinnecock Hills, though it proved unsuccessful when he failed to make the weekend cut at the New York venue in 2018.
Regarding the PGA Championship atmosphere, Chandler described it as "quite pleasant" despite an incident where McIlroy asked security to deal with a heckler.
"I think if you end up giving him too much protection, it looks ridiculous," Chandler remarked, adding that the golfer already has personnel following him around courses.