Rory McIlroy defends Masters title following historic Grand Slam win
Rory McIlroy returns to Augusta National to defend his Masters title this week, exactly a year after ending an 11-year major drought to complete the career Grand Slam.
The defending champion joined an illustrious group of golfing legends following last year’s historic play-off success.
His elusive fifth major title arrived 3,899 days after his 2014 PGA Championship triumph, requiring immense mental fortitude to navigate a tense final day.
Overcoming a slow start
The Northern Irishman admitted he did not make things easy for himself during a dramatic week at the famous Georgia venue.
He double-bogeyed three of his final four holes during the opening round to card a stuttering 72.
That frustrating opening day left him facing a massive seven-shot deficit heading into Friday.
To eventually claim the Green Jacket, he had to match the historic first-round comebacks achieved by Sir Nick Faldo in 1990 and Tiger Woods in 2005.
Building weekend momentum
The Grand Slam winner surged up the leaderboard with a remarkable round-of-the-day 66 on Friday.
He maintained that momentum on Saturday by opening his third round with six consecutive threes.
Two bogeys around the turn were swiftly undone by a brilliant eagle at the par-five 15th, allowing the four-time major winner to sign for another 66.
Taking a two-shot lead into Sunday marked the first time he had held the 54-hole advantage at the tournament since his infamous collapse in 2011.
Bouncing back from a final-round wobble
The final day began in disastrous fashion as his overnight advantage vanished on the very first hole.
A forced lay-up from a fairway bunker was compounded by a three-putt from under 20 feet, resulting in an opening double-bogey.
However, the world-class ball-striker demonstrated remarkable resilience to fend off challengers like Bryson DeChambeau and finally conquer his golfing Everest.
