AUGUSTA, Ga. – The frustration was understandable. Rory McIlroy had played too dang well to have nearly given away this 89th Masters after the first stanza. But with two double bogeys in his final four holes on Thursday evening, McIlroy was on the cusp of irrelevance, not only seven shots back but behind 26 other names. There was still time, just no more margin for error.
And so, McIlroy bolted out of scoring and without breaking stride, skirted the assembled media and rushed straight to the parking lot, making it to his rental home just in time to tuck his 4-year-old daughter, Poppy, into bed.
“I just sort of tried to leave what had happened here,” McIlroy later explained.
The next morning, McIlroy met with his sports psychologist, Dr. Bob Rotella, who encouraged his client to remain patient.
The message, in a nutshell: Don’t push too hard, too early.
McIlroy’s response: An easy birdie on the par-5 second, plus eight pars to make the turn in red numbers.
Then he hit the gas, bursting back into contention.
“I feel like that patience was rewarded,” said McIlroy, whose 6-under 66 erased all but two shots of leader Justin Rose’s advantage on him.
McIlroy’s second-nine charge started when he flagged his approach from 177 yards at the par-4 10th and did the same from 159 yards at the par-4 11th for back-to-back birdies. As he walked to the par-3 12th, he received a standing ovation from the sea of patrons. McIlroy was just getting started, too.
After driving it into the pine straw at the par-5 13th, McIlroy calculated his number to cover the creek – 189 yards – and then weighed hitting 4-iron or 5-iron. He went with the former, then watched as his ball drifted right.
“When the ball was in the air, I was like, You idiot, what did you do?” McIlroy said.
When McIlroy’s ball landed on the green and trundled up to 9 feet, McIlroy doubled over in relief, hanging his arms as he exhaled. When McIlroy’s eagle putt disappeared, the crowd roared again; McIlroy was officially back in it.
And unlike the day prior, the good fortune kept rolling. After a drive into the pines, McIlroy lifted a pitching wedge – after switching from a 9-iron – from 160 yards over the trees to 17 feet at the par-4 14th, his missed birdie putt ending the possibility that McIlroy would go full Steph Curry and card all 3’s on the second nine, not that that wouldn’t have been greedy.
Then came the par-5 15th, where McIlroy carded his first of two doubles on Thursday. A day later, McIlroy sized up the chip shot from behind the green that sped past the hole and into the water. McIlroy also admitted that it never occurred to him to replay the shot instead of heading across the pond and to the drop area.
“I was so frustrated last night because I played so well, and you can make these big numbers from absolutely nowhere on this golf course, just like the most benign position,” McIlroy said. “It was a good reminder last night that you just have to have your wits about it you on every single golf shot.”
For the third straight hole, McIlroy debated between clubs, settling this time on 4-iron from 231 yards. And again, the ball squirted right on him yet caught a piece of the green. McIlroy’s two-putt from 90 feet marked his final birdie of the day, which was capped with three relatively stress-free pars.
“I rode my luck a little bit on 13 and 14 and 15 and thankfully got away with it a little bit,” McIlroy said. “I think those are the sorts of things that you need to happen in major championships, and, you know, I feel like it got a little unfortunate yesterday in some parts, and I got a little fortunate today.”
Entering the week, McIlroy figured it would take between 12 and 15 under to win the green jacket. Now, he was back on pace – and hopefully carrying a lot of this newfound momentum into the weekend.
And sure, McIlroy is excited to still be in this thing, but as he said Friday, “I think more just excited for the opportunity.”
What a difference a day makes.
AUGUSTA, Ga. – The frustration was understandable. Rory McIlroy had played too dang well to have nearly given away this 89th Masters after the first stanza. But with two double bogeys in his final four holes on Thursday evening, McIlroy was on the cusp of irrelevance, not only seven shots back but behind 26 other names. There was still time, just no more margin for error.
And so, McIlroy bolted out of scoring and without breaking stride, skirted the assembled media and rushed straight to the parking lot, making it to his rental home just in time to tuck his 4-year-old daughter, Poppy, into bed.
“I just sort of tried to leave what had happened here,” McIlroy later explained.
The next morning, McIlroy met with his sports psychologist, Dr. Bob Rotella, who encouraged his client to remain patient.
The message, in a nutshell: Don’t push too hard, too early.
McIlroy’s response: An easy birdie on the par-5 second, plus eight pars to make the turn in red numbers.
Then he hit the gas, bursting back into contention.
“I feel like that patience was rewarded,” said McIlroy, whose 6-under 66 erased all but two shots of leader Justin Rose’s advantage on him.
McIlroy’s second-nine charge started when he flagged his approach from 177 yards at the par-4 10th and did the same from 159 yards at the par-4 11th for back-to-back birdies. As he walked to the par-3 12th, he received a standing ovation from the sea of patrons. McIlroy was just getting started, too.
After driving it into the pine straw at the par-5 13th, McIlroy calculated his number to cover the creek – 189 yards – and then weighed hitting 4-iron or 5-iron. He went with the former, then watched as his ball drifted right.
“When the ball was in the air, I was like, You idiot, what did you do?” McIlroy said.
When McIlroy’s ball landed on the green and trundled up to 9 feet, McIlroy doubled over in relief, hanging his arms as he exhaled. When McIlroy’s eagle putt disappeared, the crowd roared again; McIlroy was officially back in it.
And unlike the day prior, the good fortune kept rolling. After a drive into the pines, McIlroy lifted a pitching wedge – after switching from a 9-iron – from 160 yards over the trees to 17 feet at the par-4 14th, his missed birdie putt ending the possibility that McIlroy would go full Steph Curry and card all 3’s on the second nine, not that that wouldn’t have been greedy.
Then came the par-5 15th, where McIlroy carded his first of two doubles on Thursday. A day later, McIlroy sized up the chip shot from behind the green that sped past the hole and into the water. McIlroy also admitted that it never occurred to him to replay the shot instead of heading across the pond and to the drop area.
“I was so frustrated last night because I played so well, and you can make these big numbers from absolutely nowhere on this golf course, just like the most benign position,” McIlroy said. “It was a good reminder last night that you just have to have your wits about it you on every single golf shot.”
For the third straight hole, McIlroy debated between clubs, settling this time on 4-iron from 231 yards. And again, the ball squirted right on him yet caught a piece of the green. McIlroy’s two-putt from 90 feet marked his final birdie of the day, which was capped with three relatively stress-free pars.
“I rode my luck a little bit on 13 and 14 and 15 and thankfully got away with it a little bit,” McIlroy said. “I think those are the sorts of things that you need to happen in major championships, and, you know, I feel like it got a little unfortunate yesterday in some parts, and I got a little fortunate today.”
Entering the week, McIlroy figured it would take between 12 and 15 under to win the green jacket. Now, he was back on pace – and hopefully carrying a lot of this newfound momentum into the weekend.
And sure, McIlroy is excited to still be in this thing, but as he said Friday, “I think more just excited for the opportunity.”
What a difference a day makes.
