Rory McIlroy joins the greats in stunning final day at Augusta National
Oh the relief – McIlroy realises a dream – image courtesy of the Masters Tournament
In one of the greatest days of Masters history and arguably one of the greatest in the history of golf, Rory McIlroy put to bed any of the demons and intense scrutiny and pressure that has plagued him over the last 11 years since his last major title with a playoff victory over Justin Rose.
McIlroy becomes the 6th male player in the history of the game to win the career Grand Slam, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as golfers to have won all four of the game’s major titles.
McIlroy took a two-shot lead over De Chambeau into day four, but by the second hole the lead had gone with a double bogey at the first and a par at the second, allowing De Chambeau to take the lead.
McIlroy’s round was littered with brilliance and mistakes, his costly start overcome almost immediately by birdies at the 3rd and 4th holes to regain the lead by three after bogeys by De Chambeau at those same holes.
Birdies at the 9th and 10th had him ahead by four but while DeChambeau would begin to drop away challenges came from Justin Rose and Ludvig Alberg. After a messy run through holes 13 and 14, where he dropped 3 shots to briefly lose the outright lead, it would be two outstanding iron shots to the 15th and 17th that kept the dream alive for McIlroy.
After his drive at the 15th finished a little further left than ideal, his curving 7iron to 5 feet set up an eagle chance. Although unable to convert, he would par the 16th before a superb 9 iron at the 17th set up a birdie and appeared to open the door to victory.
Then came a final bogey at the last after missing the green from the middle of the fairway with a gap wedge but he would then hit his approach at the first extra hole against Rose to just over 2 feet and he would make after Rose missed his 12 footer from behind the hole.
“It feels incredible,” said McIlory in the presentation ceremony. “This is my 17th time here, and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time. I think the last 10 years coming here with the burden of the Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that, yeah, I’m sort of wondering what we’re all going to talk about going into next year’s Masters.
“But I’m just absolutely honoured and thrilled and just so proud to be able to call myself a Masters champion.
“I was really nervous going out. It was almost as if the double bogey at the 1st calmed my nerves a little bit and sort of got me into it in a funny way.
“I just think all week how I responded to setbacks, I think that’s what I’ll take from this week. Couldn’t be more proud I myself for that and being able to back bounce when I needed to.”
McIlroy’s reaction after the winning putt dropped told the story of the immense pressure and at times unnecessary criticism he has worn since his last major victory at the PGA Championship in 2014.
There are a lot of Monday morning quarterbacks singing his praises today, many of those prepared to knock him for his inability to get across the line but they have conveniently forgotten the many great titles aside from majors in the meantime that McIlory has won and his amazing success on the PGA Tour where he is second only to Tiger Woods in career money.
This victory could well open the floodgates for McIlroy, who has clearly felt the pressure of winning the Masters and completing the Grand Slam. With that burden relieved, it could well make his free-wheeling game even more so, and surely, another major title in 2025 is well within his reach. Imagine the reception if one of those was to come at the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in his homeland of Northern Ireland in July.
Justin Rose was also chasing a first Green Jacket and was outstanding in his comeback from a seven-shot opening deficit. Rose’s ten birdie round of 66 included a 30 footer across the green at the last to get within one, and when McIlroy then bogeyed the last, it was off to the playoff.
“Today was an unbelievable round of golf, said Rose. “This weekend, in fact, if I look back at yesterday, played unbelievable golf yesterday and just putter went stone cold on me, and then today just really began to feel that confidence come back with the putter, which is unbelievable.
“10 birdies on a golf course I thought was playing quite tricky, greens were firm and crusty, but with that came a few mistakes here and there.
“But listen, to make the putt on 18, the one you dream about as a kid, to obviously give myself an opportunity and a chance was an unbelievable feeling. Obviously I’ve been in this position before, 2017. It’s definitely tough, but I bounced back pretty well from that, too. Went on to be World No. 1 after that so I used it to my advantage.
“Last two majors I’ve played I’ve come up in second place, but it’s exactly what I’m trying to do with my career at this stage, and it’s more evidence that I’m doing some really good work.”
Jason Day threatened to get in the mix on occasions during the final day reaching 2 under for the day and 7 under for the tournament through nine holes. Bogeys at his final two holes however, would cost him a place in the top ten, eventually finishing tied for 8th.
It was however, Day’s best finish in a major since finishing runner-up at the 20023 Open Championship and there were plenty of signs that his game is very close to where it needs to be.
“I’m pretty gutted right now,” said Day. “It’s annoying to give myself the opportunities out there and not be able to take them. I mean, it’s a step in the right direction. That’s all I can say. It’s hard to walk off the golf course and go straight into an interview even though — I’m pretty headless right now.
“I understand. It is what it is. We should be able to be professional enough to hold our — at least keep our cool. It’s just really hard when you’ve just walked off the golf course, and you’re pretty furious with how you played, especially at the end.
“Like I said before, it’s like when I sit down and digest it all, I think it’s a good positive step in the right direction. Just a few minor tweaks here and there and a few more putts go in, it might be a different story this week.
“I’ve got to just take the positives when I sit down and think about how the week went.”
Jason Day in action today – image the Masters Tournament.
