McIlroy working again with Bannon: 'Michael has always been my coach'
Rory McIlroy confirmed on Tuesday the swirling rumors in the golf world: He's once again working with long-time coach Michael Bannon.
The 20-time PGA TOUR winner - who's in Dubai for the European Tour's season-ending DP World Tour Championship - partnered with Pete Cowan for much of the past year, earning two wins in the process.
"Michael has always been my coach," McIlroy said, according to ASAP Sports. "He's coached me since I was 8 years old. He's also been there, even if he wasn't visible, in the background for the last six months, and I think Michael knows my swing and my game better than I probably know it at this point."
The 32-year-old has gone through an up-and-down past couple of months, which included both a disappointing performance at the Ryder Cup and a victory at October's CJ Cup in Las Vegas.
McIlroy said he found a way to improve his swing in the time separating those two results.
"In those two weeks between the Ryder Cup and Vegas, I feel like I figured a few things out on my own, which sometimes you need to do," McIlroy said. "I guess I went to Vegas with a little more self-belief and I won that tournament, and that gave me even more confidence. If anything, Michael is more of a sounding board at this point. I say to him, 'This is what I'm trying to do. Tell me if I'm completely not right.'"
In terms of his relationship with Cowan, McIlroy said both coaches are still in the fold, albeit in different roles.
"I said last week I've always had a relationship with Pete, I've known Pete since I was 13 years old from the Irish setup, and if I want to ask his opinion on something, I can still do that," McIlroy said. "If I feel like I need his input, I'll ask for it. As of right now, I'm happy with the setup that I've basically always had, and I'm excited for the road ahead."
The world No. 8 tees off in the DP World Tour Championship at 11:25 a.m. local time alongside Dean Burmester. McIlroy is also in the field next week at Tiger Woods' yearly event in the Bahamas, the Hero World Challenge.