AUGUSTA, GA – Rory McIlroy suffered a number of heartache on the Masters.
Seven occasions on the Augusta Nationwide, McIlroy tried to finish his Grand Slam profession by successful a inexperienced jacket. Seven occasions he didn’t develop into the sixth man to take action through the Grasp’s Period.
McIlroy did not do it once more on Sunday, however this time I barely felt defeated.
After beginning on Sunday 10 pictures behind chief Scotty Scheffler, McIlroy scored the bottom rating ever within the ultimate spherical on the Masters with an 8-under 64. Jordan Spieth was final in 2018. McIlroy’s no-stealth spherical on Sunday was the one one within the championship.
McIlroy completed second in 7-under after a 72-hole, 3-shot end to the again of Scheffler. It was McIlroy’s greatest end result ever at Augusta Nationwide.
“That is what you dream about, is not it?” McIlroy mentioned. “You dream about placing your self within the heart. I wasn’t shut sufficient to the lead. Scotty performs very well. To play in addition to I did right this moment after which end like this, I imply, it’s very unbelievable.”
On the 4-18, McIlroy hit a tee in a dugout in Fairway. Then he hit his second shot in a bunker on the inexperienced facet on the fitting. Soar excessive over the opening and watch his ball fall on the inexperienced and fall into the opening.
McIlroy dropped his wedge into the sand, raised his arms above his head and hugged the pack, Harry Diamond, after rising from the dugout. His play associate, Colin Morikawa, hid from the identical basement a number of moments later.
“This match by no means ceases to amaze,” McIlroy mentioned. “Yeah, that is as comfortable as I’ve ever been on the golf course there. Simply had the prospect, after which with Colin, we performed very well all day, and we each find yourself like this, so comfortable for him too. It was unbelievable. Did not I by no means hear a roar like that in Eighteenth Inexperienced. It was actually cool.”
It wasn’t all the time a contented ending for McIlroy at Augusta Nationwide. In 2011, because the 21-year-old was attempting to win his first main championship, the Northern Irish had a four-shot lead within the ultimate spherical. His lead was decreased to at least one shot within the second 9. He strapped his automobile into the cabins and made a triple bogey at quantity 10, three bogeys at 11 and 4 bogey at 12. He tied at 15.
The day after the devastating crash, McIlroy reposted a joke about houses already in Augusta Nationwide. He recovered to develop into top-of-the-line gamers on the earth, successful the US Open later that very same yr, the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014 and The Open in 2014.
He has been attempting to finish the Grand Slam ever since. Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Gary Participant and Jane Sarrazin are the one gamers who’ve carried out so.
McIlroy has now completed within the high ten of the Masters six occasions since finishing three Grand Slam quarters. In 2018, McIlroy was within the final group on Sunday and was behind Patrick Reed by three pictures. McIlroy fired 2-over 74 and tied for fifth, 6 pictures behind Reed.
This time I felt completely different. Apparently he conquered the legendary golf course that has been haunting him since that fateful Sunday in 2011.
“I am most likely at a unique stage in my life the place golf on the time was every little thing,” McIlroy mentioned earlier this week. “Clearly, look, it is nonetheless crucial, however possibly on the time I do not know if I might be glad if I did not win one or no matter. Nevertheless it’s much less stress.”
“Look, I do know if I play properly I am going to give myself possibilities to win this golf course. It is only a matter of going on the market and doing the way in which you recognize you possibly can stick with it and being affected person and being disciplined and all of the issues you’ll want to do round Augusta Nationwide.”
McIlroy, 32, did simply that on Sunday. He opened his spherical with sparrows on two of the primary three holes. He practically drove the inexperienced on flip 4, 350 yards third and made 4 toes. He made two lengthy pictures out of the inexperienced—30 toes on the seventh and 39 toes on the tenth. On 5/13, McIlroy hit his second shot from 203 yards to 10 toes and made an eagle.
“It is most likely going to be just a little brief, however I gave it an ideal enhance, and I could not ask myself greater than that,” McIlroy mentioned. “I went there right this moment, scored my greatest lead to Augusta, and will probably be my greatest end result ever. Perhaps not adequate, however I will be again subsequent yr and hold attempting.”
