The Masters was something Rory McIlroy had dreamt about all his life. At 24, when he won the Open at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake for the third of four Majors, the Masters became the focal point of his ca -reer to complete a career Grand Slam . He added a fourth Major but it was a second PGA Championship and the famine came. No Majors after the PGA in 2014.
On Sunday, a Green Jacket was secured on a 17th start, the Slam was completed in the 11th attempt and the 11-year-long drought had ended. And now, at the most majestic theatres in golf—the Augusta National—a sobbing McIl -roy was finally freed of all the burdens, pains and aches as the dimpled ball disappeared into the cup in the playoff with Justin Rose .
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He admitted, “I think I’ve carried that burden since Aug 2014. Today was difficult. I was really nervous on the first hole, as you witnessed with the double, but as I said, that sort of calmed me down and I was able to bounce back.”
McIlroy posted one-over 73 to finish 11-under. Rose , who also finished 11-under, chased him down with a 6-under 66—including a 20-foot birdie putt on his 72nd hole—to force the first playoff at the Masters since 2017. Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, finished third at nine-under with a three-un -der 69 on Sunday. World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler finished fourth at eight-under after posting a 69.
Bryson DeChambeau (three-over 75) and Sungjae Im (69) tied for fifth at seven-under. More than once during the day, McIlroy seemed to have shut the door on his rivals and more than once he himself opened it to let them in. Two up at the start, McIlroy gave back that lead on the very first hole with his third double bogey of the week.
Moments later DeChambeau’s birdie on the second pushed McIlroy into second place. He fought back with birdies on the third and the fourth even as DeChambeau bogeyed both for two two-shot swings in a row. McIlroy fed off those and birdied the ninth and 10th and reached the day’s highest at 14-under.
At that stage he was miles ahead—five clear of DeChambeau and the highly talented Ludvig Aberg, six ahead of Reed and seven ahead of Rose. It seemed to be over for the others, but no golf event is over till it is over. McIlroy’s second free fall began with a bogey on the 11th. He did par the 12th, but disaster struck on the par-5 13th. McIlroy, after a 300-yard drive, did not go for the green but laid up his approach to 86 yards. Then, he hit one of the worst wedge shots as the ball bounced twice on the bank and fell into Rae’s Creek.
A double bogey, fourth of the week. Suddenly he was down to 10-under and the door had opened once again, though he was still in the lead. That’s when Rose, the 36-hole leader, walked in through the door with some amazing iron play and stunning putting—he had six birdies and two bogeys in the eight-hole stretch from the 11th to the 18th and closed the round with a 20-footer to finish 11-under. In between he missed a short putt or two, but he had done himself proud. He moved to the range anticipating a playoff—he had lost the last one to Sergio Garcia in 2017 and now wanted another chance.
McIlroy picked up the pieces from the 15th, which he birdied. Then came his most memorable shot of the day on the par-4 17th. With Rose in the clubhouse as the co-leader at 11-un -der, McIlroy needed to birdie one of the last two holes to avoid a sudden-death playoff. After hitting a 248-yard drive down the right side of the fairway, McIlroy smashed an iron and urged his ball to “go, go, go!”. His second shot bounced on the green and rolled to two feet from the cup. He made the birdie to go to 12-un -der, one in front of Rose. A par on 18 was enough for a win.
But McIlroy again opened the door— he missed a short par putt on the 18th. In the playoff, both McIlroy and Rose hit excellent drives and McIlroy bettered Rose’s superb second shot by coming inside it. As Rose missed his birdie putt, McIlroy sank his 3-footer. An imminent collapse had been turned into a moment of victory.
On Sunday, a Green Jacket was secured on a 17th start, the Slam was completed in the 11th attempt and the 11-year-long drought had ended. And now, at the most majestic theatres in golf—the Augusta National—a sobbing McIl -roy was finally freed of all the burdens, pains and aches as the dimpled ball disappeared into the cup in the playoff with Justin Rose .
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
He admitted, “I think I’ve carried that burden since Aug 2014. Today was difficult. I was really nervous on the first hole, as you witnessed with the double, but as I said, that sort of calmed me down and I was able to bounce back.”
McIlroy posted one-over 73 to finish 11-under. Rose , who also finished 11-under, chased him down with a 6-under 66—including a 20-foot birdie putt on his 72nd hole—to force the first playoff at the Masters since 2017. Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, finished third at nine-under with a three-un -der 69 on Sunday. World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler finished fourth at eight-under after posting a 69.
Bryson DeChambeau (three-over 75) and Sungjae Im (69) tied for fifth at seven-under. More than once during the day, McIlroy seemed to have shut the door on his rivals and more than once he himself opened it to let them in. Two up at the start, McIlroy gave back that lead on the very first hole with his third double bogey of the week.
Moments later DeChambeau’s birdie on the second pushed McIlroy into second place. He fought back with birdies on the third and the fourth even as DeChambeau bogeyed both for two two-shot swings in a row. McIlroy fed off those and birdied the ninth and 10th and reached the day’s highest at 14-under.
At that stage he was miles ahead—five clear of DeChambeau and the highly talented Ludvig Aberg, six ahead of Reed and seven ahead of Rose. It seemed to be over for the others, but no golf event is over till it is over. McIlroy’s second free fall began with a bogey on the 11th. He did par the 12th, but disaster struck on the par-5 13th. McIlroy, after a 300-yard drive, did not go for the green but laid up his approach to 86 yards. Then, he hit one of the worst wedge shots as the ball bounced twice on the bank and fell into Rae’s Creek.
A double bogey, fourth of the week. Suddenly he was down to 10-under and the door had opened once again, though he was still in the lead. That’s when Rose, the 36-hole leader, walked in through the door with some amazing iron play and stunning putting—he had six birdies and two bogeys in the eight-hole stretch from the 11th to the 18th and closed the round with a 20-footer to finish 11-under. In between he missed a short putt or two, but he had done himself proud. He moved to the range anticipating a playoff—he had lost the last one to Sergio Garcia in 2017 and now wanted another chance.
McIlroy picked up the pieces from the 15th, which he birdied. Then came his most memorable shot of the day on the par-4 17th. With Rose in the clubhouse as the co-leader at 11-un -der, McIlroy needed to birdie one of the last two holes to avoid a sudden-death playoff. After hitting a 248-yard drive down the right side of the fairway, McIlroy smashed an iron and urged his ball to “go, go, go!”. His second shot bounced on the green and rolled to two feet from the cup. He made the birdie to go to 12-un -der, one in front of Rose. A par on 18 was enough for a win.
But McIlroy again opened the door— he missed a short par putt on the 18th. In the playoff, both McIlroy and Rose hit excellent drives and McIlroy bettered Rose’s superb second shot by coming inside it. As Rose missed his birdie putt, McIlroy sank his 3-footer. An imminent collapse had been turned into a moment of victory.
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