AUGUSTA, Ga. — A mix of sweaty bodies and long-lens cameras were packed into the upper left corner of the No. 15 grandstand at Augusta National as Rory McIlroy missed a 7-foot eagle putt. The sound of collective groans from the Masters Tournament patrons filled the air once again, a familiar occurrence on this day.
A Green Jacket attendee stood up in frustration, exclaiming, “I can’t take much more of this,” as he hurriedly made his way down the staircase, followed closely by his sons struggling to button up their coats that only a select few can wear on this property.
As McIlroy’s quest for the career Grand Slam and the end to his 11-year major championship drought unfolded, it felt like riding the most nauseating roller coaster at breakneck speed or being caught in a blender set to maximum, causing the entire table to shake.
From an opening double bogey to a water ball in Rae’s Creek, culminating in the first sudden-death playoff at the Masters since 2017, McIlroy gave Augusta National a show it didn’t even know it desired. The patrons on site were unsure if this was the kind of excitement they had signed up for as Sunday turned into a heart-stopping affair.
“My battle today was with myself. It wasn’t with anyone else,” McIlroy reflected Sunday evening, draped in a 38 Regular green jacket. “You know, at the end there, it was with Justin (Rose), but my battle today was with my mind and staying in the present.
“I’d like to say that I did a better job of it than I did. It was a struggle, but I got it over the line.”
While McIlroy’s struggle was internal, every corner of Augusta National felt the tension along with him. The patrons leaned with his errant drives, eagerly watched his daring escapes, and fervently hoped that each putt would find its way into the hole. Just this one, Rory.
With every stroke, they held their breath, anticipation building until the final roar signaled sweet relief.
In his 1975 Masters report for Sports Illustrated, Dan Jenkins famously wrote, “There is an old saying that the real Masters doesn’t begin until the back nine on Sunday.” That sentiment still holds true, even 50 Masters later.
The back nine of the 89th Masters began with a sense of comfort that is often deceptive at this venue.
No. 10 shattered McIlroy’s Masters dreams 14 years ago as a young 21-year-old. On Sunday morning, McIlroy found a note from Angel Cabrera, the 2009 champion, in his locker, a reminder of that fateful day.
The tee shot on No. 10 was uneventful, and the subsequent birdie putt to take a four-shot lead was electrifying. Patrons crowded around the 10th green and 11th fairway, straining to catch a glimpse through the trees. Anything would do. The treacherous Amen Corner loomed ahead, ready to test McIlroy once again.
Events unfolded in a blur. A bogey on No. 11, a fortunate par on No. 12, and a cautious play on No. 13 with a four-shot lead. Amidst the tight crowd at Amen Corner, McIlroy’s ball found the creek, eliciting gasps and groans from the onlookers.
As McIlroy’s scorecard changed from red to a somber 11, the tension mounted. Every time it seemed like the tournament slipped away from McIlroy, he responded with a shot or a moment that contradicted the narrative. The patrons’ emotions see-sawed between elation and despair, culminating in a sudden-death playoff against Rose.
As Harry Diamond, McIlroy’s caddie and lifelong friend, looked at his player, he remarked, “Well, pal, we would have taken this on Monday morning.”
The audience at Augusta National shared none of that sentiment. The agony had reached its peak, but it was also the most riveting Masters in recent memory. The conclusion was inevitable. McIlroy needed to deliver the final blow, putting an end to the chaos.
Entering the Augusta National clubhouse and heading up the staircase to a dining room, you would find yourself on a porch overlooking the iconic sights of the course. On this tense day, a sea of anxious spectators obscured the view of No. 18 green.
Some on the ground suggested starting a game of “telephone” to relay the action on the green. Up on the porch, a group gathered around a television, the lone modern technology in the vicinity, watching the playoff with bated breath.
The sound of McIlroy’s roar echoed through the grounds as his birdie putt dropped. His emotional outburst, collapsing and sobbing, encapsulated the rollercoaster of a final round. With this victory, McIlroy achieved the career Grand Slam, putting an end to the narrative that haunted him for so long.
Reflecting on his emotional moment, McIlroy shared, “It was all relief. There wasn’t much joy in that reaction. It was all relief. And then, you know, the joy came pretty soon after that. But that was — I’ve been coming here 17 years, and it was a decade-plus of emotion that came out of me there.”
We understand, Rory. We understand.
(Top photo: Harry How / Getty Images)
