Rory McIlroy has 'lost trust' in swing, says Sir Nick Faldo

McIlroy was much fancied to wear a Green Jacket for the very first time at this year's event, but a five-over par second round meant the Ulsterman failed to make the cut.

Faldo, who won the Masters three times in his career, cites McIlroy's approach play as a big factor as to why he is yet to complete the Grand Slam of major events.

"The tough thing for Rory is that he drives so beautifully and then he makes a mess of a short iron and it's deflating him," he told Sky Sports.

"I've been talking about this for a couple of years now.

"You watch how many times he stands up with a wedge in his hand and he hits it 50 feet away and he might three putt it.

"Nine other players are hitting it within 15 feet and popping it in for birdie.

"Technically, his hip action and pelvic line through impact affects him.

"He gets a little stuck underneath it and then he loses his trust with it.

"At this level, it goes right through you.

"He's not constantly knocking himself down in that sense because he just doesn't trust it enough.

"He's got to find a trust from 8 iron in because when you drive it that well, all he should be working on is little fades and little draws for safety."

McIlroy created headlines by wearing AirPods for an on-course commentary during his first round at Augusta - a feature that would also be repeated by Max Homa and Justin Thomas.

The Northern Irishman has also been vocal about the run-away LIV Golf tour.

Despite acknowledging McIlroy's influence away from the course, Faldo urged the 33-year-old to devote all his time to a 'window of opportunity' to win as many majors as possible.

"He's a lot smarter than me with the words that he says," he continued.

"He's a great guy, gives people a great time and he gives a lot.

"As a golfer, we are given a window of opportunity in terms of time as an athlete and our window is pretty good, say from 20 to 45 years of age.

"You want to give 100% to your profession and how much you do elsewhere does it affect that commitment to your window of opportunity?

"I don't know. Sometimes you've got to be careful.

"Once I started thinking of business and doing other things, you're not thinking about your golf.

"I liked to be focusing on my golf but he might be a different animal and be able to bounce more in and out doing other things.

"He's still young, he's still got another ten years and the other great thing about the Masters is that we have memories.

"He's got a lot of memories, a lot of scar tissue already there and it's been since 2014 since he last won a Major.

"The scar tissue has to be cleared out and it's like looking at a television with busted pixels and to have a clear vision all the time is tough in this sport."