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Brandel Chamblee Has Message For Rory McIlroy Ahead Of 2025 Masters

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Apr 2, 2025 1:45 PM ET

Brandel Chamblee thinks this could finally be Rory McIlroy's time to win the Masters.

Although he's notched seven top-10 finishes at Augusta National, the Masters remains the only major McIlroy has never won. The 35-year-old will get another chance to snap that drought next week.

On an NBC conference call with Golf Channel's Live From crew, Chamblee expressed confidence that McIlroy can get over the hump.

"This Masters is his to win or lose," Chamblee said, courtesy of Sports Illustrated's Max Schreiber. "From a technical and mental standpoint, this is Rory's. There has never been a better week for him to win the Masters."

McIlroy said he watched The Devil Wears Prada the night before winning a playoff to secure a The Players Championship triumph last month. Chamblee referenced the movie to illuminate the golfer's Masters struggles.

"I would say that Augusta National is the Miranda Priestly to Rory McIlroy's Andrea Sachs," Chamblee said. “It is literally his nemesis. It brings out the worst golf in Rory annually that we see. He annually underperforms there. He hits on average about 42 greens. On average, the winner hits about 52. There are things about that golf course that have been very problematic for him."

Can McIlroy overcome Meryl Streep and the Masters? Chamblee noted the golfer's first-round difficulties at the tournament when opining that the hurdles are more mental than physical.

"You can’t just act like this is any other golf tournament," Chamblee said, per Golf Digest's Christopher Powers. "It is not like any other golf tournament. For a lot of the golf world, it is the single-most important four days they will have, so it's not like every other golf tournament. But at the same time, you cannot allow yourself the luxury of looking ahead."

Chamble, who tied for 18th at the Masters in 1999, believes McIlroy is well-positioned to earn his first green jacket.

"We keep saying he's got plenty of time, and he does," Chamblee said. "This is a golf course that bows a little bit to age and experience, and from a power standpoint, he's never been more powerful, metaphorically and literally. It's his if he takes care of business."

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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