Rory McIlroy on how much not winning Masters mattered
Rory McIlroy completed a lifelong dream when he won the Masters at the Augusta National and became only one of six players to complete the grand slam.
McIlroy joined the illustrious company of Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen winning a Masters that he has been chasing for a decade with many near misses in between.
On early Monday, with a simple putt to complete his trophy cabinet, the Northern Irishman felt the weight of hory once again as he missed his shot and took the game into the playoffs. But once there, he made no more errors and collected his first ever green jacket.
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“It’s [been] very difficult,” McIlroy said. “I think I’ve carried that burden since August 2014. It’s nearly 11 years. And not just about winning my next major, but the career grand slam. Trying to join a group of five players to do it, watching a lot of my peers get Green Jackets in the process. Yeah, it’s been difficult.
“I’ve tried to approach this tournament with the most positive attitude each and every time that I’ve shown up and I think just the sort of cumulative experience that I’ve gained coming back here each and every year, I just feel like I get a little more comfortable with the shots needed. There’s talking about it and actually doing it.
McIlroy spoke about how much he was struggling in the morning of Day 2. Nerves came through at a crucial juncture and the weight of his past at Augusta didn’t help.
“Today was difficult. I was unbelievably nervous this morning. Look, it was a heavy weight to carry and thankfully now I don’t have to carry it. That frees me up and I know I’m coming back here every year, which is lovely.Story continues below this ad
“It’s a dream come true. I have dreamt about that moment for as long as I can remember. There were points in my career where I didn’t know if I would have this nice garment over my shoulders.”
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