And now there are six.
Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods – only those five golfers had ever managed to win all four of professional golf’s Major Championships (the Masters, U. S. Open, British Open and PGA) during their careers. But after 18 holes of drama-filled action and one, extra hole of sudden-death playoff on Palm Sunday afternoon in sunny Augusta, Ga., Rory McIlroy finally added his name to that short list of elite athletes by winning the 89th Masters, after 11 long years of chasing down the ever-elusive Grand Slam. He dusted off Justin Rose, a good mate and fellow Ryder Cupper, with a nifty, five-foot birdie putt, after missing one of similar length moments earlier on the same hole that would have won it in regulation.
Patience, grasshopper.
He burst onto the scene, straight outta Hollywood, Ireland, as a mop-haired teenager with prodigious power off the tee and silky touch around the greens, and immediately began winning professional events on the reg, particularly Majors. The two-stroke lead he carried into yesterdaze final round was half as many as it was in 2011, when the pudgy 21-year-old first stalked a green jacket. Sadly, he stumbled miserably on that fateful Sunday, posted an 8-over par, 80, and was reduced to tears after the round.
But it’s just like John Maginnes told me one day on the driving range in Moline, Ill., at the John Deere Classic – “When you shoot 80 out here, half of the guys don’t care, and the other half wish it was 81.”
Not to be derailed, McIlroy managed to scoop up three Major Championship titles by the time he was 24 years young and seemed poised and ready to add his name and likeness to the Mt. Rushmore of pro golf. But you see, golf gods can be crueler than a neighborhood bully on Halloween; so, as fate would have it, he would need to wait another decade to slide into his very own Green Jacket and complete the final leg of the slam.
As a recently married father of one, Rory’s career has been exemplary from the jump. He always kept his nose clean and name out of the gossipy societal pages, where so many successful athletes infamously wind up, for good or ill.
No, not this Irishman.
The most controversial statements he ever made had to do with the recently established LIV Tour and were aimed at the many players who decided to leave the PGA Tour for greener pastures. Sure, it is easy to side with those who jumped ship and signed on the dotted line for lotsa extra loot. I mean, don’t we all want our annual income quadrupled, at least? And guaranteed? Unlike most pro sports, golfers only earn prize money, if they make the cut, which is limited to the top 50 scores and ties after the second round of each tournament. Until recently, only those who finished in the top 20 or so would cash substantial checks. It was very, what you might call, top heavy. But then LIV flipped the script.
Rory took to the mic to defend the history and tradition of the PGA Tour and did so admirably, showing that he is a man of character from stem to stern. Sure, it is easy to turn down tens of million$ when you’re worth hundred$ of million$, but it did not stop countless others, including several of the world’s top-ranked players, from turning tail – not in the least. Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm (who reportedly collected around $400mil to switch sides) are just a few of those who signed on with the Saudis and now find themselves globetrotting more than ever while being compen$ated by those with seriously questionable morals.
So, kudos to Rory. He plays the game like he lives his life – righteously, one shot at a time and smiling, all the while smiling.