Rory McIlroy achieved sporting immortality on Sunday, joining golfing greats Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in completing the career grand slam with his dramatic sudden-death Masters play-off victory over Justin Rose.
But it would not be McIlroy without putting his supporters through the wringer.
Holding a commanding four-shot lead over the field as he left the 10th, McIlroy’s closing holes were a maelstrom of emotion as he battled his nerves as well as his rivals.
HOLE 11
Rory McIlroy arrives on the 11th tee with a bounce in his step, having just nailed successive birdies to move to -14. His lead is four shots over Justin Rose, who has himself just moved to -10 up ahead on 13. Comfortable. But McIlroy makes a complete hash of the par four, finding himself behind the trees off the tee. A low punch very nearly finds the water, but the golfing gods delay that particular agony. McIlroy’s chip is short and he misses his par putt. But with Bryson DeChambeau finding the water to make double and Justin Rose also bogeying 14 up ahead, the four-shot lead stays intact.
McIlroy -13, Rose -9, DeChambeau -9
HOLE 12
McIlroy safely navigates the notorious par three, finding the back of the green and two-putting for par. But three holes ahead of him, Rose drains a birdie to cut McIlroy’s lead to three shots.
McIlroy -13, Rose -10, DeChambeau -8
HOLE 13
McIlroy takes the sensible option (drawing admiring coos from Sir Nick Faldo and Wayne Riley on commentary), laying up on the par five and leaving himself a nice easy chip into the green. Anything left will do with the ball feeding down to the hole. But McIlroy makes a horrendous mistake with his approach, going right, and watches his ball roll into Rae’s Creek off the bank. Takes a penalty drop, chips past the hole, and then misses his bogey putt coming back. It is a three-shot swing with Rose birdieing shortly after to tie McIlroy at the top of the leaderboard. Another bogey for DeChambeau ends his challenge.
McIlroy -11, Rose -11, DeChambeau -7
HOLE 14
For the first time since the third hole, McIlroy loses the lead of the tournament, pushing his tee shot right and finding the pine straw. His approach leaves him short of the green and his chip leaves a tricky downhill right-to-left putt, which hangs on to the edge of the hole but obstinately refuses to drop. Another name emerges towards the top of the leaderboard, as Ludvig Aberg joins McIlroy on -10.
Rose -11, McIlroy -10, Aberg -10
HOLE 15
The comeback begins. A huge drive kicks left towards the pine trees and McIlroy appears to be blocked from going to the green. But from 209 yards he draws a magnificent seven-iron around the branches to just six feet. ...
