Augusta: By the second hole on Sunday, Rory McIlroy had lost a historic six-shot lead that he had compiled after 36 holes at the Masters.
As he made the turn, there were just too many players snapping at his heels, gnawing at the possibility of preventing him from a back-to-back Green Jacket. Old adversary Justin Rose, whom he beat in a playoff last year, had snatched the lead by one shot with a superb front nine. World No.1 Scottie Scheffler was lurking ominously among the chasing pack. Overnight leader Cameron Young had a few hiccups after taking an early lead, but he wasn’t falling apart.
Somehow, the 36-year-old Northern Irishman navigated it all with the calmness of a sage. In the back of his mind, he knew anything could happen over the last nine holes.
There is a famous saying at Augusta National… the Masters does not begin until the second nine on a Sunday. Alister MacKenzie’s masterpiece lives up to that reputation every year. The pressure of being within touching distance of one of the greatest prizes in golf can lead to some incredible decisions and executions that either enhance a player’s reputation for life, or make him look stupid.
Inspiration and adrenaline can lead to heroic shots, pressure and trepidation can induce mistakes you’d find hard to associate with such accomplished stars.
In Rose’s case, the downfall came trying to give too much respect to the par-4 11th hole and the par-3 12th, the first two holes of Augusta’s famous Amen Corner. He bogeyed both, and then, despite knocking it on the green in two on the par-5 13th, he three-putted for par. It could have been a completely different story had he made that very makeable first putt.
In contrast, Scheffler could neither gain nor lose anything on the Amen Corner. Not losing a shot is huge, but the 2022 and 2024 champion needed birdies at that point. By the time he got a couple (15th and 16th), it was too late as he finished one shot behind the winner.
McIlroy played that befuddling stretch of three holes perfectly. He had a seven-iron to the pin on the 11th from the A1 position on the fairway, and yet he kept his ego under control, played it to the safe spot right of the flag and two-putted for par. On Saturday, the then five-time major champion had dumped an easier second shot into the water for a double bogey.
He birdied the 12th with a stunning 9-iron that caught the wind as per McIlroy’s command and floated beautifully from the top of the front bunker to the pin on the right side of the green and left him with a seven-foot birdie putt. On the 13th, he did not make the most of a monster 350-yard drive, but scrambled for a second straight birdie.
McIlroy now led the tournament by two shots over Scheffler, who was nearing the 18th hole. It was a bit of a struggle towards the end, including some anxious moments on the 18th tee when McIlroy smashed his drive way right and didn’t know how it would end. He had scrambled for pars on the 16th and 17th and the poor tee shot on 18th led only to a bogey while leading by two.
The win makes him the joint most successful European player in major history, matching Nick Faldo’s six titles. He is only the fourth player in Masters history to win back-to-back Green Jackets, after Jack Nicklaus, Faldo and Tiger Woods.
“I thought it was so difficult to win last year because of trying to win the Masters and the grand slam, and then this year I realised it’s just really difficult to win the Masters,” said McIlroy, who will again head to India in October for the DP World India Championship as the reigning Masters champion.
“I did the bulk of my work on Thursday and Friday. I don’t think I would have believed anyone if they said to me “all you have to do is shoot even-par for the weekend and you’ll win”.”
He said: “Absolutely delighted to be able to get it done. Having a six-shot lead going into the weekend, it would have been a bitter pill to swallow if I weren’t able to get myself over the finish line.”
McIlroy, who stays world No.2, said he never doubted he’d get the job done.
“I guess I have learned to just keep going. I found myself in a very similar position today to where I was in the last round last year, two or three behind, but I played solid golf after that.
“If I hadn’t birdied the seventh and eighth holes, I would have started to push a little bit. But I never felt like I was out of it. I never felt like I had to press at all.
“I knew there were some important shots coming up, but I really felt that I should not be making any bogeys. Knowing how the back nine of the Masters goes and people are inevitably going to make a couple of mistakes, I felt like if I were the one not to make mistakes, then I would be in a good spot.”
