Rory McIlroy forced U-turn from caddie who was 'never big on him' with behaviour discussed

A former NFL star-turned caddie offered his verdict on Rory McIlroy's on-course demeanour, admitting he hadn't always been the Northern Irishman's greatest admirer. Shortly after finally getting his hands on the Green Jacket for the first time last year, McIlroy teamed up with close friend Shane Lowry for the Zurich Classic team event.

Among their rivals in New Orleans was the pairing of Tom Hoge and Kevin Chappell, whose bag was carried by former NFL quarterback Derek Anderson - a scratch golfer with a genuine passion for the game. The experience afforded Anderson a rare and revealing glimpse into what truly sets McIlroy apart from his peers. Appearing on GOLF's Subpar podcast, Anderson revealed he was struck by McIlroy's imposing presence on the course, drawing comparisons with Tiger Woods.

He said: "It's just different. The sound's different. Kind of the way he goes about it. I kind of was never a huge Rory guy.

"I've always liked him and been impressed with his game, but the way that he carries himself, what he's doing on the golf course, there's an intent.

"You can see [him thinking], 'I'm the guy, my bag goes here, I'm gonna whack it,' and he wants to have some of that Tiger intimidation. But he doesn't act like it. He's confident in what he's doing. Just kind of the way he goes about it, the way he hits it."

Anderson was equally impressed by McIlroy's steely resilience in the face of adversity. Anderson added: "A lot of guys will go out there, whack it and [makes frustrated squawking noise], you know. He hit one in the lake, Shane hit one in the lake. Nothing changed; they kind of just went about it and kept going.

"That's what I thought was most impressive. Like, all the guys we saw out there hit bad shots. I hit a lot of bad shots, I get p***** [and] by the time I get to 13, I'm like, 'I want to go in.'

"You know what I mean? And these guys just keep going. It's just different, the consistency is different."

Anderson managed to irritate McIlroy during the Zurich Classic following an etiquette mishap, which saw him inadvertently moving behind the green while the Northern Irishman was chipping, causing an unwanted distraction.

Anderson quipped that he felt "5'1 tall" after the gaffe and ended up offering his apologies to McIlroy "five times" throughout the round. He explained: "Rory had stepped off the chip. Apparently, when I looked down I bothered him. And then he steps up and proceeds to lay sod over it, and I’m like, 'Oh no.' And then they make bogey."

Having successfully retained his Masters crown last month, McIlroy is currently competing at the second major of the year, the PGA Championship.