By Frank Pingue
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – Rory McIlroy ended his long wait for a Masters title with a birdie on the opening hole of a sudden-death playoff to beat Justin Rose and claim the career Grand Slam after a nerve-wracking final round on Sunday.
After missing a five-foot par putt at the 18th in regulation that forced the playoff, McIlroy made sure he did not let his latest chance at major glory slip away and returned to the same hole in the playoff and put his approach two feet from the cup.
When the winning putt dropped, McIlroy raised his arms toward the clear sky and let his putter fall behind him as he dropped to his knees overcome with emotion.
McIlroy then embraced his wife Erica and daughter Poppy as chants of “Rory! Rory!” rang out around the green while he made his way toward Butler Cabin to collect the Green Jacket that he almost threw away earlier after a back-nine stumble.
“There was a lot of pent-up emotion that just came out on that 18th green,” McIlroy said just before slipping on the Green Jacket during the presentation ceremony. “A moment like that makes all the years and all the close calls worth it.”
With the win, McIlroy joins Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only golfers to win each of the four major championships.
The 35-year-old McIlroy arrived at the year’s first major, where in 2011 he blew a four-shot lead on the back nine, seeking his first major since August 2014 to end a barren run that came with its fair share of near misses.
LEAD VANISHED
For a while late in the closing round it looked like McIlroy was once again headed for major heartbreak as golfers were trading positions on the leaderboard at a mind-bending pace.
McIlroy had been in complete control when he reached the turn but shockingly relinquished a seemingly comfortable four-shot lead and then delivered two of the best shots of his career late to keep his hopes alive.
At the par-five 15th, McIlroy smacked a remarkable draw that curved around some branches and over the pond fronting the green where his ball settled six feet away. He missed the eagle putt but the birdie moved him one shot clear of Rose.
After Rose, who was playing five groups ahead, drew level with 20-footer for birdie at the 18th, McIlroy again dug into his bag of tricks with a masterful stroke at the par-four 17th where his approach from 197 yards stopped two feet from the cup.
“This is my 17th time here, and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time,” said McIlroy, the first European to earn a career Grand Slam of the four men’s majors.
“I think the last 10 years coming here with the burden of the Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that, yeah, I’m sort of wondering what we’re all going to talk about going into next year’s Masters.”
‘LOT TO LEARN’
It marked more Masters heartbreak for Rose, who lost in a 2017 playoff to Sergio Garcia and has now finished runner-up three times at Augusta National.
Former U.S. Open champion Rose scorched the back nine en route to a six-under-par 66 that was the joint low round of the day but the 44-year-old Englishman went on to miss a 15-foot birdie putt that would have extended the playoff.
“You can’t skip through a career without a little bit of heartache,” said Rose, who was bidding to join Nick Faldo and Danny Willett as Masters winners from England.
“It’s not going to happen. If you’re willing to lift the big championships, you’ve to put yourself on the line. You have to risk feeling this way to get the reverse.”
Bryson DeChambeau, who began the day in second place and two shots back of McIlroy, dropped into a share of fifth place after a closing three-over-par 75 left him at seven under on the week and four shots off the lead.
“There’s a lot to take away from this week, a lot to learn, a lot to be proud of, a lot to be pissed about,” said DeChambeau, who held the outright lead after two holes. “But I learned a lot, and I’m ready to take the challenge on again.”
Former champion Patrick Reed was alone in third, two shots off the lead while Scottie Scheffler, who was bidding to become only the fourth player to repeat as Masters champion, finished a further shot back in fourth.
“Overall I wouldn’t say I had my best stuff, but I fought really hard all week,” said Scheffler.
“This was the best I was mentally all year. I think my game just wasn’t there.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Augusta, Georgia, editing by Pritha Sarkar, Peter Rutherford)
