In the glorious sunshine of Spring in Georgia, Augusta National woke up to the making of history. On an unforgettable Sunday at the Masters, Rory McIlroy graduated into a new realm of greatness. It has been a treacherous trek through persistent agony. It took epic resilience, during a final round which threatened to slip away, yet again. But McIlroy found the nous to produce mind numbing excellence under enormous pressure to forge greatness from the edge of despair. A greater epic will be hard to write.
The seven iron at the 15th and 17th holes nearly secured the Green Jacket, but McIlroy lifted the putter on the 18th making room for a playoff against Justin Rose. In the end, a terrific shot with his gap wedge secured the birdie that won him the playoff and the lifelong honour of being a Masters Champion.
Unlike Tiger Woods who raced into the chamber of greats, McIlroy needed a rare persistence. He had to deal with doubt and suffering. Humiliation and hurt. Pain accompanied him as he fell short for a vacant decade. Finally, the shelf is full, his shoulders can wear the Jacket they have coveted all his life.
On Thursday, four under through 14, McIlroy endured a double dent that threatened to dampen yet another week at Augusta. Pain has accompanied the Northern Irishman every step of the way around these Georgia woods. This week though, Rory has shown remarkable resilience, not just bouncing back, but soaring into contention on back-to-back scores of 66. He needed more of that spirit soon after the first tee shot on Sunday. McIlroy courted the fairway bunkers on the first two holes, his driver failing to clear the hazard on both occasions.
A two-stroke swing on the opening hole brought the two men into a tight huddle at 10-under. The overnight gains for McIlroy were wiped away even before anyone could rein their pounding hearts. When his ball landed in the bunker on the second fairway, McIlroy nearly slumped to his knees, the frustration evident in his demeanour. At 35, though, he seems to have found new resolve, the mind clearly reinforced with some steel. The early nerves might have settled for Rory. And the weight shifted to Bryson, who conceded bogeys at three and four. The determination of Rory delivered birdies just when he needed, swinging the battle back to his corner. As the two men reached the fifth tee, they were once again well separated. Now the gap was three, and the frustrations were hanging on Bryson’s bag.
Stuck behind the trees to the left of the fairway on the seventh hole, McIlroy gave the ball a lusty swing with his nine-iron. As soon as he saw the ball trace the flag, McIlroy broke out into joyous laughter, bowing to tip his hat for an enamoured crowd witnessing some magical golf. His rival DeChambeau wasn’t going to miss out on the fun even though he lodged his ball in the bunker from the middle of the fairway. Playing to the left of the flag, Bryson caught the slope to the pin, leaving himself just two feet for par. This was a heavyweight duel laced with gruesome punches, punctuated by sheer artistry.
Rory delivered massive blows to the field punching birdies at nine and ten. He moved to 14-under giving himself some cushion as he reached the Amen Corner. Destiny seemed to accompany his every step. But the chasing pack refused to surrender, tapping on his heels with great resolve. Justin Rose, Ludvig Aberg, Patrick Reed, and Corey Conners were each pushing their case vigorously. The course grinned; the leaders yielded. DeChambeau started to wither at the eleventh, never quite recovering from the double bogey. Rory made a bogey too after his second barely stayed up on the bank. McIlroy still had a three-stroke lead, but it was a crumbling cushion. Rose hung to hope at 10-under through 15 holes. Scheffler was 8-under in the group behind Rose, with Aberg went past the 14th on 9-under. The cast of this epic drama transformed in the crucible of Amen Corner.
The edginess appeared to be back in Rory’s gait, as the moment of reckoning inched closer with every step he took around Augusta National. The air around the valley felt heavy from the burden of his quest for undeniable greatness. Rory bent forward in sheer dismay as he went dunking in the creek with his third shot on 13. The pain on his face as he saw the leaderboard was pure theatre. The double bogey stung his soul, and his face reflected its agony. Rose drew even at 11-under with a birdie on 16, his seventh in ten holes. The Masters was thrown wide open.
McIlroy surrendered the lead when his par putt hung dramatically on the lip at 14. Rose, the leader after the first two days, was back in control. But as the tension mounted, he would slide past the cup on the 17th producing a thrilling three-way lock for the lead with McIlroy and Aberg. Winning at Augusta takes magic. McIlroy found some with a blistering seven iron that flew on a string from the first cut on the left at 15. The smile was back. He exhaled the stress that accumulated from the tight bogey on eleven and the double at 13. McIlroy was back in the lead, but only just. His putt on 18 slid past the right edge. The playoff afforded Rose a scent at glory, but McIlroy proved equal to the occasion. Now, he will live in the company of Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods as the only men with a career grand slam.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com)
The seven iron at the 15th and 17th holes nearly secured the Green Jacket, but McIlroy lifted the putter on the 18th making room for a playoff against Justin Rose. In the end, a terrific shot with his gap wedge secured the birdie that won him the playoff and the lifelong honour of being a Masters Champion.
Unlike Tiger Woods who raced into the chamber of greats, McIlroy needed a rare persistence. He had to deal with doubt and suffering. Humiliation and hurt. Pain accompanied him as he fell short for a vacant decade. Finally, the shelf is full, his shoulders can wear the Jacket they have coveted all his life.
On Thursday, four under through 14, McIlroy endured a double dent that threatened to dampen yet another week at Augusta. Pain has accompanied the Northern Irishman every step of the way around these Georgia woods. This week though, Rory has shown remarkable resilience, not just bouncing back, but soaring into contention on back-to-back scores of 66. He needed more of that spirit soon after the first tee shot on Sunday. McIlroy courted the fairway bunkers on the first two holes, his driver failing to clear the hazard on both occasions.
A two-stroke swing on the opening hole brought the two men into a tight huddle at 10-under. The overnight gains for McIlroy were wiped away even before anyone could rein their pounding hearts. When his ball landed in the bunker on the second fairway, McIlroy nearly slumped to his knees, the frustration evident in his demeanour. At 35, though, he seems to have found new resolve, the mind clearly reinforced with some steel. The early nerves might have settled for Rory. And the weight shifted to Bryson, who conceded bogeys at three and four. The determination of Rory delivered birdies just when he needed, swinging the battle back to his corner. As the two men reached the fifth tee, they were once again well separated. Now the gap was three, and the frustrations were hanging on Bryson’s bag.
Stuck behind the trees to the left of the fairway on the seventh hole, McIlroy gave the ball a lusty swing with his nine-iron. As soon as he saw the ball trace the flag, McIlroy broke out into joyous laughter, bowing to tip his hat for an enamoured crowd witnessing some magical golf. His rival DeChambeau wasn’t going to miss out on the fun even though he lodged his ball in the bunker from the middle of the fairway. Playing to the left of the flag, Bryson caught the slope to the pin, leaving himself just two feet for par. This was a heavyweight duel laced with gruesome punches, punctuated by sheer artistry.
Rory delivered massive blows to the field punching birdies at nine and ten. He moved to 14-under giving himself some cushion as he reached the Amen Corner. Destiny seemed to accompany his every step. But the chasing pack refused to surrender, tapping on his heels with great resolve. Justin Rose, Ludvig Aberg, Patrick Reed, and Corey Conners were each pushing their case vigorously. The course grinned; the leaders yielded. DeChambeau started to wither at the eleventh, never quite recovering from the double bogey. Rory made a bogey too after his second barely stayed up on the bank. McIlroy still had a three-stroke lead, but it was a crumbling cushion. Rose hung to hope at 10-under through 15 holes. Scheffler was 8-under in the group behind Rose, with Aberg went past the 14th on 9-under. The cast of this epic drama transformed in the crucible of Amen Corner.
The edginess appeared to be back in Rory’s gait, as the moment of reckoning inched closer with every step he took around Augusta National. The air around the valley felt heavy from the burden of his quest for undeniable greatness. Rory bent forward in sheer dismay as he went dunking in the creek with his third shot on 13. The pain on his face as he saw the leaderboard was pure theatre. The double bogey stung his soul, and his face reflected its agony. Rose drew even at 11-under with a birdie on 16, his seventh in ten holes. The Masters was thrown wide open.
McIlroy surrendered the lead when his par putt hung dramatically on the lip at 14. Rose, the leader after the first two days, was back in control. But as the tension mounted, he would slide past the cup on the 17th producing a thrilling three-way lock for the lead with McIlroy and Aberg. Winning at Augusta takes magic. McIlroy found some with a blistering seven iron that flew on a string from the first cut on the left at 15. The smile was back. He exhaled the stress that accumulated from the tight bogey on eleven and the double at 13. McIlroy was back in the lead, but only just. His putt on 18 slid past the right edge. The playoff afforded Rose a scent at glory, but McIlroy proved equal to the occasion. Now, he will live in the company of Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods as the only men with a career grand slam.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com)
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