Rory McIlroy hoisted the green jacket over his shoulders on Sunday afternoon at Augusta National, claiming his first major championship title since the 2014 PGA Championship. The triumph followed a dramatic sudden-death playoff with Justin Rose, the first period of sudden death in Olympic golf history. The playoff was the 11th of its kind at the Masters since 1975. It was a fitting celebration of McIlroy’s remarkable return to form, with the 35-year-old becoming the sixth player in history to complete a career Grand Slam.
Both McIlroy and Rose ended up tying in the tournament forcing a dramatic one hole playoff to start out the FedEx playoffs. On the first playoff hole, McIlroy made an incredible 40-foot birdie and won! It was a poetic end to what had been an incredible week at Augusta National Golf Club. Yet this playoff was particularly important. It was the first sudden-death situation at the Masters since ’17, when Sergio Garcia defeated Rose in the same fashion.
It wasn’t an easy road for McIlroy on his way to this win. Despite his incredible performance all week, he made four double bogeys during the tournament, two of them coming on the final day. Until this year, no player had ever won the Masters after making double bogey or worse four times in the lead-up week. Even with such disappointments, McIlroy’s character came to the fore and he was able to claim glory at such an important time in his professional career.
This win is important not just for McIlroy’s personal collection of hardware but for the history of the game itself. With this Masters victory, he became the first player to achieve a career Grand Slam since Tiger Woods accomplished the feat in 2000. McIlroy joins an elite group of golfers who have won all four major championships, solidifying his status among the sport’s greats.
The 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla was the last of McIlroy’s four major titles, until Sunday. This triumph only served to underscore his long, painful struggle to return to the winner’s circle in the game’s most elite events. This build-up and subsequent win could be a huge turning point for McIlroy. He’s faced many other challenges since his last big victory.
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