Brandel Chamblee defends Rory McIlroy after unfair accusations following his Masters win

Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images

Rory McIlroy became only the fourth man in history to successfully defend The Masters on Sunday.

While McIlroy wasn’t at his scintillating best, he still managed to get the job done at Augusta National and now he’s a two-time winner of The Masters.

The 36-year-old is now in highly-esteemed company alongside Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods after defending the title he won 12 months ago.

There were times during the final round when it seemed like McIlroy had thrown The Masters away, but he battled back incredibly well to win his second green jacket.

However, Rory McIlroy has received criticism from some golf fans after winning The Masters for the second time.

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And Brandel Chamblee has commented on the Northern Irishman after his one-shot victory at Augusta National.

Chamblee has already praised McIlroy for his conduct as Masters champion, and now the golf analyst has staunchly defended the six-time major champion.

Brandel Chamblee defends Rory McIlroy after unfair Masters accusations

There has been some utterly ridiculous takes on McIlroy after he won The Masters on Sunday.

Prior to the tournament, he explained how often he visited Augusta National to play practice rounds in the build-up to the tournament.

“I honestly just don’t like the three tournaments leading up to this event,” said McIlroy

“I’d rather come up here. I did a couple of days where I dropped Poppy to school, flew up here, played, landed back home and had dinner with Poppy and Erica.“

Many golf fans online have suggested that McIlroy’s unlimited access to playing Augusta National ahead of the tournament gave him an unfair advantage.

And Chamblee defended the Northern Irishman on his official X account.

*“*Every single professional player who qualified for the Masters could go early and play as many practice rounds as they wish, Chamblee said.

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“Just as so many others, including Jack Nicklaus, have done in the past. The only advantage Rory had over the field was his considerable skill.“

Chamblee is 100 per cent correct there. How on earth is a professional sportsman being criticized for honing his craft?

Do you think Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Phil Mickelson didn’t make numerous scouting missions to Augusta National in the weeks leading up to The Masters?

Criticizing McIlroy for playing numerous Augusta National practice rounds is as ludicrous as it is ill-informed.

Michael Kim gives his opinion on McIlroy’s unfair advantage claims

Kim defended McIlroy after some fans suggested that he had an unfair advantage at The Masters this year.

He took to his official X account to post a message about McIlroy’s Masters preparation.

“Yes, there’s a number of rounds that ANGC will say no to for me to go by myself and play by myself,“ he said.

*“*That number is prob a little lower for me than a guy like Rory. If you find a member to host you every time, there’s no limit.

*“*I had plenty of chances to go to ANGC myself if I wanted to but didn’t go.

*“*Better use of my time practicing at home or wherever I am to get my game in better shape for my next tournament.

“Course knowledge only gets you so far. Plenty of golfers have even more experience at Augusta than Rory like Justin Rose.“