Who is Bob Rotella?

He is part of the team that has seen Rory McIlroy maintain his status as one of the very best in the game. But who is Bob Rotella?

In his bid to end his major drought and clinch the career Grand Slam, Rory McIlroy is helped by Bob Rotella, one of golf’s most renowned mental gurus. 

There’s no doubt McIlroy is a modern great, but he will become an all-time legend if he can finally win the Masters and become just the sixth man in history to complete the modern Grand Slam.

The weight of history is on the Northern Irishman’s shoulders, but he came into the 2025 tournament on incredible form, having already won twice on the PGA Tour, including the Players Championship.

Conquering Augusta National and the rest of the field requires more than just good form, however. Mental fortitude is needed to tame the iconic golfing paradise, something McIlroy knows all too well having blown a four-shot lead in 2011.

In his corner on his chase for history is legendary sports psychologist Bob Rotella. Rotella has helped several golfers, both male and female, claim some of the sport’s biggest prizes.

In fact, the man from Rutland, Vermont has had a hand in more than 80 majors across the men’s and women’s games. 

At Augusta in 2025, McIlroy spoke about how Rotella helped him recover from dropping four shots in three holes at the end of his opening round. 

“I had a good conversation with Bob Rotella, mostly around not pushing too hard too early and trying to get those shots back straightaway,” McIlroy said on Friday after the second round.

“I just tried to stay really, really patient. I feel like that patience was rewarded with a nice little stretch there.”

However the conversation went, it certainly did the trick. McIlroy posted back-to-back 66s on Friday and Saturday to go from seven back to two ahead with just 18 holes to go. 

McIlroy has worked with Rotella for several years now and has enjoyed great success in that time, but the Northern Irishman is still waiting for that elusive fifth major.

Rotella told the Musings on Golf podcast what he and McIlroy would be focusing on ahead of the 2025 Masters.

“We’re probably going to spend as much time talking about the fact that whether you win the Masters or don’t, you’re going to have an unbelievable career,” Rotella said. 

“We’re probably going to find ways to take pressure off it so that he can win it… he’s doing everything humanly possible to give himself a chance. But he also understands there’s lots of other great players.”

Another thing Rotella tries to instill in his players is a feeling of amnesia when it comes to mistakes they have made on the course.

McIlroy has endured his fair share of heartbreak in his career, so it remains to be seen whether he can put all of that to one side and claim more of the sport’s biggest titles.

Who else has Bob Rotella worked with?

Bob Rotella’s client list is a who’s who of incredible golfers. He famously helped Padraig Harrington win three majors in a 13-month spell across 2007 and 2008. Rotella was also working with Darren Clarke when he took a shock Open victory in 2011 at Royal St George’s.

Other clients include the likes of Nick Price, Ernie Els, David Duval, Justin Thomas, and Henrik Stenson.

Rotella has undoubtedly helped recreational golfers get more out of their games through his catalog of books.

He has authored several books, including Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect and Your 15^th Club.