As Rory McIlroy competed in the final round of The Masters, fans around the world willed him to finally win at Augusta National to not only claim the Green Jacket for the first time, but also complete his career Grand Slam.
The pressure was even more acute for McIlroy as he hadn’t won any of the four Majors for almost 11 years - a fact made even more agonizing by a series of near misses since his previous Major title at the 2014 PGA Championship.
In the end, McIlroy completed his dream by beating Justin Rose in a playoff, but only after seeing a healthy gap on his rivals disappear. McIlroy plays in this week’s Truist Championship, and beforehand, he revealed that lead was responsible for the worst feeling he had throughout a chaotic round.
He explained: “I said this to people, the worst I felt on Sunday at Augusta was probably when I held the birdie putt on 10 to go 4 ahead because I'm like, ‘Oh, I really can't mess this up now.’ There's that pressure. You know that you're not just trying to win another tournament, you're trying to become part of history, and that has a certain weight to it. I've certainly felt that at Augusta over the years.”
There’s no doubt the pressure almost derailed McIlroy’s challenge as he bogeyed the next hole before making a double bogey on the par-5 13th after finding the water with a seemingly routine approach shot. He then made two more bogeys on the 14th and 18th, offset by birdies on the 15th and 17th to ensure he got another chance to close out the title in the playoff.
Following his victory, McIlroy visited family in his homeland of Northern Ireland, and he explained it had been a special trip, saying: “Look, it was amazing going home. I didn't want any fanfare. I tried to keep it as private as possible.
“I just wanted to see my parents and the people that were closest to me, and we had a really nice two days. With my dad, like I never get that emotional with my dad. It was great. It was great to see him. Then when I saw my mom, I - yeah, we were both a mess for a few minutes.
“Look, as an only child, I have a bond. I'm lucky, and I know a lot of people feel this, that they have a close bond with their parents, but I think as time goes on and I'm getting a little older, I realize that they're not going to be around forever. It means even more that they were still around to be able to see me complete the slam and fulfill those dreams.”
With the dust having settled on his Masters win, for McIlroy, who also played in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans the following week, it’s well and truly back to business as he prepares to defend his Truist Championship title. He thinks Philapelphia Cricket Club, which is the event's temporary home as Quail Hollow prepares to host the PGA Championship, shouldn’t offer too big a challenge off the tee.
He added: “It sort of to me feels like a smaller version of Oak Hill, not a lot of strategy off the tee because there's no real hazards. There's some fairway bunkers, but if you avoid those, the rough's not that long so it's not a huge penalty. A little simple off the tee, I guess, is the best way to describe it, but making sure with the second shots that you're below the hole and trying to get to learn the greens a little bit more.”
Following the event, McIlroy will head to Quail Hollow hoping for a fifth win at the venue and his third PGA Championship title. He said: “I’m obviously going to feel more comfortable and a lot less pressure, and I'm also going back to a venue that I love. It's nothing but positive vibes going in there next week with what happened a few weeks ago and then with my history there and how well I've played at Quail.
“Yeah, it probably will feel a little bit different. I probably won't be quite as on edge as I have been for the last few years when I've been at major championships. I'll probably be a little bit better to be around for my family, and I'll be a little more relaxed. I think overall it will be a good thing.”
