The haunting Masters meltdown that changed Rory McIlroy’s career

Editor’s note: This story was initially released in April 2023.

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He collapsed in his club, buried in his arm, looked at the threshold of Rory McILOY tears.

At that time, the 21 -year -old watched his ball into the waters of Rae’s Creek in the National National National, and with him, just a dream of winning the masters who were a dream that got close to just hours ago.

As one of the most fancy names in the history of sports four times, a small number of players would turn down the chance of changing the places as McILOY went to Augusta this week.

Nevertheless, Sunday, April 10, 2011, would not want to be in the shoes of a golfeist Northern Irish in the world.

A fresh -faced, mop -headed McILOY gained fame as the leading light of the new generation stars in Georgia for the first major of the season.

An excellent 2010 has marked the best season since he returned Professional three years ago, and he was emphasized with his first PGA Tour victory at the Quail Hollow Championship and a significant contribution to the victory of Team in Ryder Cup.

Nevertheless, despite the first three impressive three finishes in the Open and PGA championship, respectively, it served as a kidnapped-size-size-free prediction that was disappointed in Masters.

McILOY pulled 74 and 77 to reduce the cut line with more than seven money to four strokes, which worried him enough to get a short sabbatic.

But in 2011, however, a year later, any ongoing master devil was fired while flying in McILY Augusta Fairway.

In the Major for the first time in the 65s, which were opened under 65 years of age under 65 years of age, the first round of Spanish with the second round of 69 came to the fore with the joint leader Alvaro Quirós.

At the weekend, he sent him by holding a two -shot pillow on the Jason day of Australia, Tiger Woods, after the second round of the second round, returned to the 15th major hunting behind and once again.

Nevertheless, the 21 -year -old leader looked perfectly comfortable when there was a target on his back. Even after a temporary start to the third round, McILOY walked with three birds in six holes to extend its way up to four strokes on Sunday.

Young people, Gün, ángel Cabrera, KJ Choi and Charl Schwartzel’den a bunch of chase in front of the package in front of the package. After 54 holes, McILOY only hit three bogas.

Im I finally feel comfortable in this golf field, Mc McILOY said to journalists.

Orum I don’t get forward, I know how potential customers can decrease very quickly.

“We will see what will happen tomorrow because four shots on this golf field are not that much.”

McILOY was about to prove that his assessment of Augusta was the most challenging way that could come to mind.

The fourth swamp of the week immediately arrived. McILOY, who agreed to wait for some nerves in the first Tee, led to an opening driving exploding in Fairway, just to miss the Putt at only five meters.

Three consecutive Pars fixed the ship, but Schwartzel took the wind in his sails. A fluffy bird, par, eagle start after the third hole at the top of the top.

McILOY, Schwartzel, Cabrera, Choi and Augusta’yı to send a madness in the front of a ramp Woods with five birds and eagles along the front of a single -firing bullet, while a single -firing bullet slowed down the accusation of a Bogey accusation.

Despite the diminishing advantage and the low Tiger-Mania religion in front of him, McILOY responded well to another Bogay in the 5th hole and emptied a 7th rank of 20-meter bright Putt to recover.

The following fist pump marked the high water point of McILOY’s tour as a sliding start.

Tee began to look at a tree to settle between the white cabins that distinguish the main course from the adjacent par-three course. He gave the audience a look at Augusta rarely seen in the broadcast, and then looked after a tree to watch McILOY’s follow -up shooting.

Although his first escape was successful, he saw a trees and two putt and another collision, at the end of a stunned McILY, he entered for a triple bogay. After a hole and seven shots, the field came to the seventh place in the 11th T -shirt.

When the 13th Rank Tee driving entered the creek, all the thoughts on who could be the buyer of the green jacket had long been away from grieving young people. Since a bogay and a pair of bogay dropped it five gold, he had taken seven Putts to navigate in the previous two greens-the score of the ennuval after only 11 holes.

With mercy, the last five holes passed without the big incident. In the final hole, a putt kidnapped for a bird of five meters summarized McILOY’s day, but a reception was given when leaving the green.

Just a few minutes ago, the same crowd exploded as Schwartzel sank the fourth bird in a row to seal the first major title. After McILOY started four shots, he made 10 shots in front of the South African, and the second Australian duo Jason Day and Adam Scott are in front of both.

Over eight of McILOY, 80 pointed out the highest score of the tour. He finished 15, who started the leadership picture for most of the week.

The next morning, tears would flow during a telephone conversation with his family, but at a press conference, McILOY was optimistic.

“I am very disappointed right now and I’m sure I will be for the next few days, but I will handle it,” he said.

“I was leading this golf tournament with nine holes and I was just solved… This is a Sunday, what he could do.

“This is my first experience and I hope I can handle a little better when I was in this position next time.

McILOY would prove to be once again correct.

Only eight weeks later, in June, McILOY rose to victory in the US Open. In 1997, he broke a tournament record below 268 to become the youngest winner since Tiger Woods.

The historical victory began a golden period for McILOY. After winning eight more shots at the PGA championship in 2012, McILOY became the only third golfer who won three main branches until the age of 25 in the 2014 Open Championship since 1934.

Before the end of the year, he would add the fourth largest title with another PGA championship win.

And most of the fate in Augusta was owed in the afternoon. One report In 2015, BBC and McILOY called the “most important day” of his career.

“If all I had not been solved, I wouldn’t have learned that much if I had lost a few bogays down the stretch and lost it by one person.

“Fortunately, when I was leading a main branch, it didn’t take long for me to go into such a position again and I was able to handle the line quite comfortably. This was a great learning curve for me and I needed it, and thank God I was able to go to bigger and better things.

“When we look at what happened in 2011, it doesn’t look so bad when you have four main branches in your fireplace.”

McILOY’s satisfaction came with a warning: If he did not win the masters in his career, he would be “unthinkable ..

Nevertheless, this week, while preparing for the 15th appearance in Augusta National, a green jacket continues to be a difficult item from the wardrobe.

Despite the seven best 10 financials on the last 10 Master trip, the Cup continues to be the only thing that separates McILOY from joining the ranks of the immortals to complete all of the four major in the modern age: again Sarazen, I’m Hagan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

Last year, the second one to Scottie Scheffler pointed out McILOY’s best finish in Augusta, but continues to be the closest to the undisputed 2011 victory. In 2022, a slow start meant that McILOY began to decide on Sunday’s 10 rounds of shooting in the last hole with five shooting leaderships despite McILOY’s bright 64 finish.

33 years old, time is still with him. Although 2022 prolonged its great drought up to eight years, it contained undisputed best golf since that gold season in 2014.

As McILOY knows better than most, things can change rapidly in Augusta National.