AUGUSTA, Ga. — The tears started flowing as soon as Rory McIlroy threw his hands in the air, tossed his putter and fell to his knees.
What followed was one of the most visible displays of emotion you will find on a golf course.
McIlroy slammed his cap, buried his head into the green. Body trembling, he buried his face into the shoulder of his caddie, Harry Diamond, and, of course, had a long embrace with his wife, Erica, and daughter, Poppy.
In between looking up to the heavens with his hands over his head.
Disbelief? Perhaps. Relief? Without question.
"That was all relief," McIlroy said after winning his first Masters and completing the career grand slam, a quest 11 years in the making.
"It was a decade-plus of emotion that came out of me there."
McIlroy needed 73 roller-coaster holes, but it doesn't matter now. By winning his first Masters, the Jupiter resident is part of golf's most exclusive club: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods were the only golfers to complete the career grand slam.
Add the name Rory McIlroy to that list.
Finally, after 3,899 days and 183 PGA Tour starts since his last major, the 2014 PGA Championship, McIlroy flipped the narrative on his career.
"I think I've carried that burden since August 2014. It's nearly 11 years," McIlroy said. "And not just about winning my next major, but the career grand slam … trying to join a group of five players to do it (and) watching a lot of my peers get green jackets in the process.
"Yeah, it's been difficult. And I've tried to approach this tournament with the most positive attitude each and every time that I've shown up."
This after McIlroy, wearing the 38-regular green jacket placed on him by world No. 1 and 2024 Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, walked into his post match meeting with the press and said:
"I'd like to start this press conference with a question myself, 'What are we all going to talk about next year?' "
Rory giveth, then taketh away on No. 18
McIlroy's 73, which came of the heels of a pair to 66s in the middle two rounds, allowed a sizzling Justin Rose to overcome a 7-shot deficit at the start of Sunday's final round and force a sudden-death playoff.
An Englishman and a Northern Irishman. Ryder Cup teammates. Two former world No. 1s. Each seeking his first green jacket.
"Something happened, for sure, around the middle of the round," said Rose, who finished with a 66 after 32 on the back nine in which he had one par and six birdies, including No. 18.
"I just kind of went into the place that you dream about going to. I felt so good with my game. Felt so good with my mind. I began to sense that I was playing my way into the tournament. I was laser focused out there."
While it can be said Rory gave away the chance to win in regulation, it is equally true ...
