What Did I Just See?

Sorry I’m a little late getting this out to everyone. I had planned on having it finished right after The Masters ended yesterday, but, well, if you were watching yesterday afternoon, you know why I’m a little late.

Frankly, I’m emotionally spent after watching The Masters yesterday. Never have I seen a final 9-holes like I witnessed yesterday. It was riveting drama only The Masters can provide. No other major comes close.

The pressure of a tournament is beyond what most weekend golfers can comprehend. That pressure increases dramatically with the four majors. Winning a major is life changing. Win more than one, a player rises to another level.

Yesterday, Rory McIlroy entered the final round with the lead at Augusta. Win The Masters, and he would enter the most exclusive club in professional golf. It is so exclusive, only five players belonged to this club. Those players are Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

Their exclusive club? The career Grand Slam in professional golf.

The career Grand Slam involves winning all four majors over the course of a career: The Masters, Us Open, The Open Championship and the PGA Championship.

Bobby Jones won the Grand Slam in amateur golf (Us Open, US Amateur, Open Championship and British Amateur) and is the only golfer to win all four in the same calendar year.

Tiger Woods completed a “Tiger” Slam when he won all four majors in a row but in separate calendar years.

McIlroy entered Sunday with the lead on his 11th attempt to win The Masters and complete the career Grand Slam. The pressure of a major with the added pressure of the career Grand Slam is beyond anything I can imagine.

And he has had his chances to with The Masters. Perhaps the most significant moment came in 2011. McIlroy lead by three shots on the tenth hole. He pulled a shot left into the cabins to the left of #10 and went on to make triple bogey. It is one of the most iconic collapses in Masters history.

So, there he stood on the first tee yesterday afternoon with a two shot lead. The pressure of a major and the history of the Grand Slam hanging over him. Imagine the pressure ratcheting up even more as that two-shot lead disappeared on the very first hole as he made double bogey.

And, imagine it growing even more suffocating as he walked off the 2nd green trailing Bryson DeChambeau by a shot.

Somehow, Rory settled into the round and birdied the next two holes. By the time he reached the 13th hole, McIlroy owned a four-shot lead. His victory and completion of the career Grand Slam seemed inevitable.

But this is Augusta National and The Masters. Strange things happen on the final nine. Jack Nicklaus saif The Masters didn’t start until the final nine on Sunday. Once again, The Masters didn’t disappoint.

McIlroy played the 13th hole safe. He hit a perfect 3-wood off the tee and laid up to a good spot to avoid Rae’s Creek. Wedge the ball onto the green and maybe make a birdie but no worse than par.

Pressure is a funny thing. Sometimes in the heat of battle, when the pressure would seem to be greatest, a player actually feels calm. Other times, the pressure becomes so intense, the inexplicable happens.

In this case, the inexplicable happened. McIlroy hit his wedge to the right of the hole instead of left of the hole. The ball found Rae’s Creek. McIlroy made double bogey. The potential runaway was suddenly a golf tournament again.

To make matters worse, Justin Rose was busy carding one of his ten birdies on the day up ahead of McIlroy. And minutes later, McIlroy was completely out of the lead as he bogeyed the 14th hole.

He was collapsing again. Ghosts of the 10th hole from 2011 flooding everyone’s mind.

Except, apparently Rory.

On 15, after hitting his tee shot a little too far left and having the big pines blocking his path to the green, McIlroy hit one of the greatest shots in the history of The Masters. From 205-yards out, Rory hit a high, hooking 6-1ron to about 6-feet leading to a badly needed birdie. Rose bogeyed 17, and Rory was once again up by one shot.

Rose followed the bogey on 17 by making birdie on 18. Once again, Rory was tied, but he hit another incredible iron. This time, a towering 8-iron from 196-yards to 3-feet leading to another birdie and a one-shot lead.

All he needed was a par on the last to win. His tee shot was perfect. A wedge to the center of the green and two-putt for the win.

But like the wedge on 13, the wedge on 18 flew left. This one found a bunker. He couldn’t get up and down. Bogey. Playoff.

I’m not sure, with all the energy required to focus at that level, the physical demands of walking Augusta and the added pressure of the potential career Grand Slam, how Rory even managed to get back to the 18th hole for the playoff let alone have to make a swing. But he did.

And like a few minutes earlier, he hit a perfect tee hot leaving him a wedge.

Justin Rose hit a fantastic second shot. Rory grabbed his wedge and swung. This time, the ball headed for the flag to four feet. After Rose missed his 15-footer for birdie, Rory made his birdie.

All the emotion, the pent-up anger, fear, heartbreak and joy exploded in tears and screams of relief. He had done it. Somehow, McIlroy overcame his demons and won The Masters securing his place in the most exclusive club in professional golf as sixth man to win the career Grand Slam.

Three times, McIlroy overcame what appeared to be fatal mistakes. The collapses of the past seemed to be returning. Somehow, he picked himself up, pushed the ghosts of the past aside and won. Honestly, I don’t know how he did it. I have never seen anything like it.

As always, be grateful when you play. Be thankful for the privilege and opportunity to play this amazing game. Now, go golf!