Rory McIlroy leaves Pete Cowen, returns to Michael Bannon

Two-time FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy has returned to his longtime coach Michael Bannon on a more permanent basis after parting ways with Pete Cowen.

Speaking to Golfweek, McIlroy confirmed the move that fits the recent narrative from the Northern Irishman.

“Yes, Michael and I are back working together,” McIlroy told Golfweek after an eight-month stint with Cowen. “I’ve always had a relationship with Pete and I’ll ask for his input if I feel I need it. But now it’s Michael and me.”

McIlroy chalked up his 20th PGA TOUR win last month at THE CJ CUP @SUMMIT in Las Vegas and spoke of a return to being his old self as the catalyst for the victory.

“There was a lot of reflection the last couple weeks and this is what I need to do. I just need to play golf, I need to simplify it, I need to just be me. For the last few months I was maybe trying to be someone else to try to get better and I sort of realized that being me is enough and being me, I can do things like this,” McIlroy said after joining the upper echelons of PGA TOUR history by becoming the 39th player to notch up 20 career wins.

Golfweek reports McIlroy returned home to Palm Beach Gardens in Florida after the win and was joined by Bannon there for their first session on U.S. soil since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Having worked with McIlroy since he was eight, Bannon is reportedly back in Florida as McIlroy prepares for next week’s European Tour DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. They will look to turn around a decline in McIlroy’s Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and Strokes Gained: Approach the Green stats.

McIlroy won the Wells Fargo Championship while working with Cowen but had just two more top 10’s – a T7 at the U.S. Open and fourth place finish at the BMW Championship – before finishing T14 in the FedExCup.