For Rory McIlroy, the Augusta National win has eluded him plenty of times. But the runner-up finisher of the 2022 Masters Tournament seems as close to achieving his career Grand Slam this year as he was then. He is aware of it, however. After the third round at Augusta National, McIlroy said, “I, just as much as anyone else, know what can happen on the final day here.” Fortunately, the Northern Irishman has someone backing him up during these intense moments. It’s all thanks to Dr Bob Rotella.
A holder of a Ph.D., Rotella is a renowned sports psychologist. However, his first choice in sport wasn’t golf but basketball and lacrosse. He also taught swimming to handicapped children. From his experience in sports, Rotella realized the field was rewarding and decided to stick with it. Born in 1949 in Rutland, and early in his career, Rotella conducted a successful sports psychology workshop for Sam Snead and other PGA Tour players. It led to more workshops and one-on-one coaching opportunities with numerous golf professionals. Now, his list of clients includes Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Henrik Stenson, and Padraig Harrington, among others.
Having worked with enough star golfers is why his experience (and words) matter so much. For instance, Rotella’s work with Padraig Harrington contributed to the Irishman winning three Major Championships in two years. It includes The Open Championship (2207, 2008), and PGA Championship (2008). His clients have reportedly won over 75 Major Championship titles while working with him. He is the author of several bestselling books, including the highly influential Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect, which is the best-selling sports psychology book and one of the top three best-selling golf books of all time.
But ask him what he feels about golfers making mistakes on the course during play, and he will answer something along the lines of, “Golf is a game of mistakes by definition. The bottom line is you’re going to make a lot of mistakes every time you play golf. The best golfers in the world average about 12 greens in regulation, so even the best are missing about six greens a day.” And Rotella has a lot of experience to back it up.
The former director of sport psychology at the University of Virginia says that negative thoughts can result in negative outcomes. And that’s why he has dedicated his career to understanding the mind and assisting athletes. Interestingly, Rottela shared that approximately 70 percent of Tour players are working with a sports psychologist. So, how does Dr. Bob Rotella help Rory McIlroy deal with the pressure of the 2025 Masters?
Rory McIlroy trusts Dr. Bob Rotella for his 2025 Masters
“I had a good conversation with Bob Rotella about not pushing too hard too early, just tried to stay really, really patient, and that was rewarded with a nice little stretch in the middle of the round,” said Rory McIlroy post his first round, his trustable mental coach. The result? The Irish golfer is at the top of the leaderboard, giving golfers like Bryson DeChambeau and defending champion Scottie Scheffler a run for their money. However, the story between Rory McIlroy and Dr. Bob Rotella started in 2010. So, according to Rotella, has there been any improvement?
A play-by-play breakdown of Rory McIlroy’s third round that took control of the leader board. #themasters https://t.co/pd5LMRVuJr
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2025
According to Rotella, “Yes.” And McIlroy’s recent performances are an indication. Talking about it, Rotella said, “Guys like Rory loved golf as kids, but this sport tries to beat you up and convince you that you’re not as good as everyone said you were, or you thought you were.” But McIlroy’s doing good, according to him. For instance, McIlroy’s win at The Players despite subpar ball-striking. Aside from that, he showed patience by strategically hitting a nine-iron away from the flag during the PLAYERS playoff. “Basically, he is chasing his potential,” said Rotella. “All he wants is to find out how good he can get at golf.”
According to Rotella, however, conversations are the best way to deal with the stress of the sport. Most of his work revolves around what a player wants, how he views himself, and where he sees himself in the future. While Rory McIlroy has yet to get into details of what they’re working on, it looks like Rotella’s help is working in his favor. But the question is: will Rotella’s help finally give McIlroy his first Masters win?
The post Who Is Rory McIlroy’s Mental Game Coach, Bob Rotella? Meet the Sports Psychologist Behind His Masters Success appeared first on EssentiallySports.