Rory McIlroy joins an elite group of sports star with victory at Augusta National tonight. But boy did he make his fans sweat with an absolute nail-biter of a game.
Only five players in the history of golf have won the career Grand Slam of four majors - that's the Open, the US Open, USPGA and The Masters. Those men are Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Now add Rory McIlroy.
It hasn't happened in 25 years and has only happened once in the last 59 years. But on Sunday night McIlroy found form, found the water of Ray's Creek and found some luck out in the shadows of the pine trees of Georgia.
In a rollercoaster of an 89th Masters, McIlroy was utterly tenacious and battled it out in a play-off with England's Justin Rose in a pressure-cooker game of golf.
McIlroy started the day with a two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau, lost it on the first hole and trailed by one on the next, but birdied the next two to extend his advantage amidst a pulsating atmosphere at Augusta National.
McIlroy edged back in front with a tap-in birdie on the 17th, only to push his approach to the last into a greenside bunker.
After splashing out to around four feet, McIlroy dragged his par putt wide to set up the first Masters play-off since Rose lost out to Sergio Garcia in 2017.
McIlroy birdied the first extra hole after the pair had finished tied on 11 under par following an extraordinary final round.
On his 11th attempt to join golf’s most exclusive club and 3,900 days after his last major victory in the 2014 US PGA, McIlroy almost threw away a five-shot lead before claiming a coveted green jacket at a pulsating Augusta National.
After inexplicably dumping his third shot to the 13th into Rae’s Creek to run up a second double bogey of the day, McIlroy also bogeyed the 14th before birdies on the 15th and 17th edged him a shot ahead of Rose.
Rose then set the clubhouse target on 11 under thanks to his 10th birdie of the day on the 18th in a remarkable closing 66, before McIlroy missed from five feet for par on the same hole to claim the title.
The players returned to the 18th for extra holes and after Rose missed his birdie attempt, McIlroy holed from three feet. After sinking his final putt, McIlroy threw his club away on the 18th green sank to his knees as the emotion overwhelmed him, his shoulders sobbing in an extraordinary night of tension.
He did it. He made history and has secured himself as one of sports greatest golfers. Now he gets the coveted green jacket that has proved so elusive.
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