If the face is the mirror of the soul, Rory McIlroy‘s reflected ecstasy. While Scottie Scheffler, the 2024 winner, fulfilled the elegant requirement of putting the Green Jacket on the 18th green as the Masters winner, the expression on the face of the brand-new champion said something like: “God, this feels good. It was all worth it.”
Because Rory has had a tough time. He went through an ordeal on Sunday, of course. But also on Thursday, when he finished with two double bogeys in the last four holes. And at last year’s US Open, with those two short putts that slipped away in the final stretch. And, of course, at the 2011 Masters, when he let his first big chance to win a Major slip away. And in each and every one of his visits to Augusta since 2015, where even the last leaf of the last magnolia whispered in his ear that this was the year, that yes, he was definitely going to win the Masters and the Grand Slam.
After an entire week of restraint, of looking inward, of locking himself in an emotional bunker, forbidding himself even to look at his phone, McIlroy finally broke down and let all his emotions flow. “I arrived at the 1st tee with a knot in my stomach. I wasn’t hungry all day. I forced myself to eat. My legs felt like jelly. These are normal nerves and, in fact, they’re good. If I didn’t feel them, it would be worse. It has been a constant mental struggle to stay in the present and make the next shot well. My battle today was with myself. In the end, it was with Justin, but mostly with my mind. I won’t say I did it perfectly, but I managed to cross the finish line,” he said relieved.
Rory openly admits he was nervous when he started the round. That’s when the inspiration of Jon Rahm came to the rescue. “I didn’t make it easy for myself today. Certainly not. It was one of the toughest days I’ve had on a golf course. In a curious way, I feel that the double bogey on the 1st hole calmed my nerves a bit. Walking to the 2nd, the first thing that came to mind was Jon Rahm a couple of years ago making a double bogey and ending up winning (he did it on the first day of 2023 and ended up signing a card of 65 strokes and with the Green Jacket on Sunday). So at least my mind was in the right place, thinking positively. But it was a real roller coaster. Very challenging out there,” he explains.
The victory this Sunday has put the finishing touch to a gruelling battle that has lasted 14 years. “What came out of me on the final green during the playoff was at least eleven, if not fourteen years, of pent-up emotions. Since 2011. It’s been 14 long years,” he admits. In this sense, in case he didn’t remember before starting the final round, he found a handwritten note in his locker as a reminder. “It was from Ángel Cabrera wishing me luck. Cabrera was the one I played with on the last day in 2011. It was a very nice and at the same time ironic gesture.”
McIlroy does not hide that all the expectations generated over the years have weighed heavily on his shoulders. Even when Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Tom Watson stated this very Thursday after hitting their honorary shots, without a doubt, that Rory was going to win this week. “It’s tough. Jack, Gary, Tom, Tiger… They’ve all been here and said that one day I’d win the Masters. It’s a big burden. They are idols to me. It’s very flattering that they believe in me and that I can win this tournament and complete the Grand Slam. But it doesn’t help much. (Laughs). I wish they wouldn’t say it, although over the years, I’ve gotten used to the noise surrounding my Masters week,” the Northern Irishman confessed.
McIlroy’s journey has been a psychological Rubicon, and no one can explain it better than himself. “I’ve carried that burden since August 2014. Almost 11 years. And not just for winning my next major, but for the Grand Slam. I wanted to join that group of five players while watching many of my generation win Green Jackets in that process. Yes, it has been tough. I’ve tried to approach this tournament with the most positive attitude every time I’ve come, and I think the accumulated experience has made me feel a bit more comfortable in the crucial shots. But one thing is theory, and another is practice. It has been difficult. I was incredibly nervous this morning. Very nervous on the first hole, but I was able to show that resilience I talk so much about. It was a very heavy burden, and now that I no longer have it, I feel free. I know I’ll be back here every year, which is wonderful,” he notes.
