It began as a beautiful Sunday in Augusta with the dream of a Green Jacket and a Grand Slam in magnificent and peaceful surroundings. It turned out to be a rollercoaster that nobody could foreshadow, it was drama like we had never seen before. This story seemed far-fetched against reality, even a Hollywood script couldn’t conjure up what we witnessed inside the gates of The National.
It had been 11 years since his last major triumph, and 14 since he melted down on the tenth hole with one arm slipped into the green garment as a 21 year old with stars in his eyes. This was meant to be Rory McIlroy’s coronation into the land of golf immortality. He carried a two-stroke lead entering Sunday over LIV rival Bryson DeChambeau.
2013 U.S. Open Champ Justin Rose lurked just close enough to grab the reins if the primetime duo slipped up, and that’s exactly what he did.
DeChambeau grabbed a share of the lead when McIlroy doubled the first, the immediate vibe was here we go again – it looked like we might in for another heartbreak result for the Ulsterman. On par 5 second hole, McIlroy once again found the fairway bunker, Bryson smoked his drive and converted an easy birdie. Par for Rory, DeChambeau grabbed a one shot lead. Bryson would never lead again, but other players were involved in what was about to unfold as an instant classic.
McIlroy flipped the script when Bryson struggled on the third, creating a two-stroke swing back in his favor. Then another two-stroke swing when Rory made a critical birdie at the fourth and Bryson made another bogey after going long and left. The margin was up to 3, time to breathe easy, right?
Both players parred the 5th thru 8th holes. Rory -12, Bryson -9.
Justin Rose and Ludvig Åberg were emerging as the contenders when McIlroy responded at the ninth. He hit a fantastic approach and made the 7-footer for 1-under 35 on the first nine, and headed to the second nine with a four-stroke lead.
When Rory hit two stellar shots on the tenth and made birdie, bryson could only manage par – and the lead was five. Let the celebration begin. Golf writers everywhere were starting to write about the dominating performance by McIlroy . . .
McIlroy : 14-under
DeChambeau : 9-under
At the treacherous par 4 eleventh, McIlroy temped disaster with his punch out from the pines. He tried to hit a low runner up onto the green. The first bounce kicked left and then it began heading towards the pond left of the green, only to stop on the slope that leads into the pond. McIlroy then chipped on and made bogey. DeChambeau made the cardinal sin of flying his approach into the pond and making double.
McIlroy: 13-under
DeChambeau: 7-under
On the pivotal twelfth, McIlroy stuck with game plan and hit away from the hole to the center of the green- and two-putted for par. DeChambeau found the back bunker and failed to get up and down.
McIlroy: 13-under
DeChambeau: 6-under
McIlroy seemed to take all of the risk out the par 5 thirteenth, but still managed find drama. He hit 3-wood off the tee. Laid up with a mid-iron. With just 82 yards to the hole location, he put his wedge shot into the tributary of Rae’s Creek short right of the green. Meanwhile, in front of him, Justin Rose was surging up the board. After his penalty drop, Rory pitched long and missed the putt. His lead was gone – tied with Rose. Bryson made par and was too far back at -6.
McIlroy: 11-under
Rose : 11-under
At fourteen, McIlroy missed the short grass and couldn’t reach the green in regulation. He failed to get up and down, and now trailed Rose by a shot. DeChambeau, hung tough and hit it to kick-in range to start his comeback..
McIlroy: 10-under
Rose: 11-under
On the fifteenth Rory hit the shot that defined his perseverance and talent. From behind the tall pines, McIlroy hit a towering right-to-left 7-iron from 208 yards, the ball landed softly on the green, and skipped forward to 8 feet. He missed the putt, but made birdie to retake the lead. Bryson’s hopes ended when he found the water on his second shot.
McIlroy: 11-under
Rose: 10-under
On sixteen, McIlroy hit a solid shot to 10 feet.At the same time ahead, Rose made birdie at the last to tie for the lead. McIlroy did not convert the birdie.
McIlroy: 11-under
Rose: 11 under
At the penultimate hole, McIlroy hit 3-wood off the tee. He pleaded for the 184-yard approach to go while in flight – It did finishing within a few feet of the hole. The tap-in meant he would have the lead heading to the 72nd hole..
McIlroy: 12-under
Rose: 11- under
Needing just a 4 to win his first Masters (and achieve the career Grand Slam), McIlroy hit a perfect drive. But with gap wedge from 125 yards, McIlroy blocked his approach into the front right bunker. He splashed it out to 5 feet. He missed the putt left – grazing the edge and headed to a playoff against Justin Rose.
McIlroy : 11- under
Rose : 11- under
The playoff lasted one hole – Back on the par-4 eighteenth, after another striped tee shot, McIlroy had the same yardage and the same club – gap wedge. The shot landed on a slope behind the flag and rolled back down to four feet. After Rose missed a 15-foot birdie attempt of his own, McIlroy sank his putt and dropped to his knees, the long-endured burden was over at last. His heavy weight instantly at that moment turned into a dream realized. . . golf immortality was now his. Raw emotions came pouring out, there were chants of Rory! Rory! Hugs for his family and team.
“Just a complete roller coaster of emotions today,” McIlroy said. “What came out of me on the last green there in the playoff was at least 11 years, if not 14 years, of pent-up emotion.”
McIlroy, 35, joined Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as players to complete the Grand Slam.
