Rory McIlroy produced one of the best golf rounds of his life today to finish second at the Masters. He shot 64 at the final round at the Masters, which is one off the course record at Augusta, and finished seven under for this tournament. It's one of the most unlikely second place finishes in the history of the tournament.
It was the only bogey-free round today and McIlroy's best ever round at Augusta. While the conditions hampered McIlroy all week, the winds died down Sunday and all of a sudden, like Lazarus, that McIlroy swagger was back. He was once 13 strokes back. He finished in second place outright.
He saved his best for last. McIlroy went from bunker to bunker with his first and second shot on 18. Needing a birdie to give himself the faintest shot of being in contention, McIlroy produced one of the greatest shots in recent memory at The Masters.
Rory McIlroy sank this shot from the bunker to finish on 64.
Seven under for the tournament.
Scenes!pic.twitter.com/05Q5gAg1I5— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) April 10, 2022
McIlroy's final round was full of incredible shots. He birdied the first to get him going. He eagle on the 13th put into him into second place. He finished with six birdies and an eagle.
Rory McIlroy bunker shot on 18th
He couldn't...could he?pic.twitter.com/6pXNpXVVSR
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) April 10, 2022
McIlroy has seemed so bedeviled by this course over the past eleven years, and the chase for the elusive career Grand Slam will go on for another year, as Scottie Scheffler did not buckle under the pressure today.
However the way McIlroy played this afternoon seemed far more important than his place on the final leaderboard. Cynics can say McIlroy plays his best golf on this course when the tournament is well and truly beyond him. But it is brilliant to see McIlroy enjoying the game again. The sport has seemed like a burden to him at times during the pandemic, as he tried to juggle the demands of fatherhood and professional sport.
He was emotional at the end of the Ryder Cup when he simply didn't have the juice. Six months later, Rory is back.
"This is as happy as I've ever been on a golf course," he told CBS after the round.
“That’s as happy as I’ve ever been on a golf course.”
Rory McIlroy joins @Amanda_Balionis after an unforgettable finish to his lowest round ever at the Masters. pic.twitter.com/RFRMmwe5cS— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) April 10, 2022
The ecstatic celebrations to sinking that shot from the bunker - and even the joy on his face when he saw Colin Morikawa also put his bunker shot on 18 in the hole - showed how much love McIlroy has for the game. The wait for the green jacket goes on for another year, but McIlroy's career feels was revived tonight.
