Rory McIlroy at the Masters: A look at his Grand Slam quest

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Rory McIlroy’s quest to complete the career Grand Slam returns to Augusta National for a fifth consecutive year. He arrives off a recent victory at THE PLAYERS Championship, and now he’s trying to do something that only Tiger Woods has achieved: win the Masters weeks after a victory at TPC Sawgrass. Woods achieved the feat in 2001, when he completed the Tiger Slam at Augusta National. Now McIlroy is trying to complete a Slam of his own. He’s in the midst of one of the most consistent stretches of his career, finishing in the top 10 in all seven of his starts this season. He also has five consecutive top-10s in the Masters. Winning is all that matters this week, though. Here’s a closer look at how McIlroy has fared in all 10 of his Masters appearances. 2018 Finish: T5 Scores: 69-71-65-74—279, -9 What happened: This was McIlroy’s closest call since the Masters became the only missing piece in his career Grand Slam quest. He was in the final group, three strokes behind leader Patrick Reed. It seemed to be a good omen. Gene Sarazen, the only man to complete the career Grand Slam at Augusta National, was three shots back entering the final round when he won in 1935. While Sarazen’s victory was highlighted by the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World,â€� his albatross on the par-5 15th, McIlroy wasn’t able to produce such magic. He shot 74 on a day when the field averaged 70.5 strokes. Only four players posted higher final-round scores. “It wasn’t as if nerves got to me,â€� McIlroy said. “I just didn’t quite have it.â€� McIlroy’s round got off to a rocky start, with a tee shot pushed into the trees right of the first fairway. He was able to salvage par to shave a stroke off Reed’s lead, though. McIlroy looked like he’d creep even closer to the lead when he faced a 4-foot eagle putt on the second hole. He missed that one, though, then bogeyed the next hole, the short par-4 third. Reed birdied it to regain his three-shot lead. McIlroy rebounded with a birdie on the fourth hole but bogeyed No. 5. “It was like every time I took a step forward I took a step back on the next hole,â€� he said. He also bogeyed the par-5 eighth hole – which he’d eagled the previous day – to make the turn in 37. He was four shots back. McIlroy couldn’t make a move on the second nine, where he’s traditionally done most of his damage. He made two bogeys and just one birdie. “The last four years I’ve had top‑10s, but I haven’t been close enough to the lead,â€� McIlroy said. “Today I got myself there. I didn’t quite do enough.â€� Eagles: 1 (No. 8, Round 3)  Birdies: 16 Bogeys: 9 Double-bogeys: 0 Fairways hit: 35 of 56 Greens hit: 43 of 72 Putts: 109 2017 Finish: T7 Scores: 72-73-71-69—285, -3 What happened: A rib injury may have slowed down McIlroy’s pre-Masters preparation, but he overcame a rough start to post his second-best finish at Augusta National. For the second time since 2010, McIlroy completed the Masters without a round of 77 or higher. While his quest for the Career Grand Slam was extended another year, this was a promising development. “The ups and downs that I’ve had here in the past don’t seem to be quite as up or quite as down,â€� he said. “It seems a little more steady and that can lead to a lot in the future, I hope.â€� The Masters was just his fifth event of the year. He sat out seven weeks in January and February because of the injury, making his return at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship. He made bogey on three of his first eight holes at Augusta National en route to a 3-over 39 on the first nine. He salvaged a 72 thanks to three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the second nine. He made four birdies the following day but also had five bogeys. He was 1 over par at the tournament’s halfway mark but just five shots back. An early rally Saturday was stalled by a double-bogey on the par-4 seventh. Two birdies and no bogeys over the final 11 holes gave him a third-round 71 that left him six shots off the lead. He made just one bogey in the final round, but his four birdies weren’t enough to catch Sergio Garcia. McIlroy finished six shots back. The T7 was his second-best finish in nine Masters, surpassed only by his fourth-place finish in 2015. “I didn’t shoot any nine-hole scores that were in the 40s. It was quite a consistent, steady Masters for me,â€� he said. Birdies: 15 Bogeys: 10 Double-bogeys: 1 (No. 7, Round 3) Fairways hit: T51, 29 of 56 Greens hit: T30, 44 of 72 Putts: 116, T11 2016 Finish: T10 Scores: 70-71-77-71—289, +1 What happened: The disconcerting trend continued for McIlroy at the Masters. Halfway through the 2016 Masters, he was in prime position to capture the Career Grand Slam. He played alongside Jordan Spieth in Saturday’s last group. McIlroy was just one shot off the defending champion’s lead. He shot 77, though, and didn’t make a birdie, falling five shots off the pace. “I just didn’t play the golf I needed to when it really mattered,â€� McIlroy said. “That’s the thing that I take away not just from this week, but from previous Masters. I’ve been in position before and I haven’t got the job done when I needed to.â€� McIlroy admitted that the pressure of his Grand Slam pursuit got to him. “I’m trying to deal with the pressure of it and the thrill of the achievement if it were to happen,â€� he said. “I think that’s the thing that’s really holding me back.â€� A final-round 71 left him six shots behind winner Danny Willett. Eagles: 1 (No. 13, Round 1) Birdies: 16 Bogeys: 15 Double-bogeys: 2 (No. 4, Round 2; No. 11, Round 3) 2015 Finish: Fourth Scores: 71-71-68-66–276, -12 What happened: McIlroy missed out on his first attempt at the career Grand Slam, but for the second consecutive year he posted his best finish at Augusta National.  He was 3 over par and around the cut line after the tournament’s first 27 holes, but shot 5-under 31 on the second nine Friday to avoid an early exit. McIlroy was 15 under on his final 45 holes to finish fourth. He was six shots behind winner Jordan Spieth, though. McIlroy was never in serious contention. He was seven shots back after the first round and 12 shots off the lead at the halfway point. He played alongside Tiger Woods in Sunday’s third-to-last group, though they started the final round 10 shots behind Spieth. “I can take a lot of positives from it,” McIlroy said. “I did a lot of things I wanted to do well. I played the par 5s well. Just left myself too much to do after 27 holes of this golf tournament.” Eagles: 2 (No. 13, Round 2; No. 2, Round 3) Birdies: 18 Bogeys: 8 Double-bogeys: 1 (No. 9, Round 2) Triple-bogeys: 0 Fairways hit: T8, 43 of 56 Greens hit: 4th, 53 of 72 2014 Finish: T8 Scores: 71-77-71-69–288, E What happened: McIlroy may have lost to an amateur in the third round, but he still posted his best Masters finish and developed a relationship that could be crucial as he tries to complete the career Grand Slam. He again couldn’t avoid a high round at Augusta National. It was the fourth consecutive year that he shot 77 or higher at the Masters. It happened in the second round this year, and he made the cut without a shot to spare. As the first player to tee off in the third round, McIlroy was paired with Augusta National member Jeff Knox. Knox beat McIlroy, 70-71, in the third round. “I thought he was going to be nice and 3‑putt the last and we would have a halve, but he beat me by one,â€� McIlroy said. After his Open Championship win, McIlroy said he intended to play practice rounds at Augusta National with Knox to get a better feel for the course’s famed putting surfaces. “He’s the best I’ve ever seen on Augusta’s greens,â€� McIlroy said of Knox. McIlroy started the final round in 24th place, eight shots off the lead. His final-round 69, which featured six birdies and three bogeys, was one of just five rounds in the 60s on Sunday. McIlroy graded his tee-to-green play favorably for the week, but was upset about playing the par-5s in even par. He made bogey on both of Augusta National’s par-5s (Nos. 13 and 15) on the second nine on Sunday. “It’s been a frustrating week, because I felt like from tee‑to‑green I played as good as the leaders,â€� McIlroy said. “I don’t think I’ve ever played as good tee‑to‑green around this course as I have this week.â€� Eagles: 0 Birdies: 16 Bogeys: 12 Double-bogeys: 2 (No. 4, Round 2; No. 10, Round 2) Triple-bogeys: 0 Fairways hit: T23, 38 of 56 Greens hit: T2, 52 of 72 Putts: 49th, 125 2013 Finish: T25 Scores: 72-70-79-69–290, +2 What happened: McIlroy struggled with his swing and new equipment early in the season, so much so that he added the Valero Texas Open, played the week preceding the Masters, to his schedule to get another tournament under his belt. He finished second there – beaten by Martin Laird’s final-round 63 – to give himself momentum before the Masters. He got off to a good start at Augusta National, but a poor third round derailed him for the second consecutive year. He was T13, four shots off the lead, at the halfway point in 2013. Then he shot a 79 on Saturday. He was 1 under for the first six holes before making bogeys on Nos. 7 and 9. Then there were 7s at No. 11 (triple-bogey) and No. 15 (double-bogey) after hitting into the water on each hole. “The margins are very small on this course and when you get on the wrong side of some of these slopes, you can’t help but get a penalty,â€� McIlroy said. “A couple of missed shots here and there and, but, I felt like I was done in on 11 and 15, but that’s the way it goes.â€� He started the final round 12 shots off the lead, but made four birdies and just one bogey in the final round. “I shot good enough scores around here, I just haven’t put them all together in four rounds,â€� McIlroy said. “So when I’m able to do that, I hope that I’ll go close. “It’s just the way Augusta is, and I think you have to embrace it and accept that’s what it’s going to be like sometimes.â€� Eagles: 1 (No. 8, Round 2) Birdies: 13 Bogeys: 12 Double-bogeys: 1 (No. 15, Round 3) Triple-bogeys: 1 (No. 11, Round 3) Fairways hit: T16, 39 of 56 Greens hit: T23, 46 of 72 Putts: T27, 118 2012 Finish: T40 Scores: 71-69-77-76–293, +5 What happened: McIlroy was in third place, one shot off the lead, at the halfway mark, but fell apart on the weekend. He started the third round with a double-bogey, made another one at No. 7 and shot 6-over 42 on the first nine. His third-round 77 dropped him from third to 27th, 10 shots off the lead. “Seems like every year I come here I throw a bad nine holes out there,â€� McIlroy said.  It got so bad that playing partner Sergio Garcia, who shot 75 in the third round, gave McIlroy a hug after each player made his first birdie of the day at No. 12. “We needed to feel a little love from someone out there,â€� McIlroy said. McIlroy needed to birdie two of his final four holes Sunday to salvage a 76. He finished 15 shots behind winner Bubba Watson after shooting 153 on the weekend. “Just came out on Saturday and really just didn’t have it that front nine, and that sort of killed me for the rest of the tournament,â€� McIlroy said. “But I’ll come back next year and try my best again.â€� Eagles: 0 Birdies: 16 Bogeys: 13 Double-bogeys: 4 (No. 1, Round 1; No. 1, Round 3; No. 7, Round 3; No. 11, Round 4) Triple-bogeys: 0 Fairways hit: T50, 36 of 56 Greens hit: T24, 45 of 72 Putts: T41, 121 2011 Finish: T15 Scores: 65-69-70-80–284, -4 What happened: The 2011 Masters may have been one of the most important weeks of McIlroy’s career. His final-round collapse was heartbreaking, but it preceded his dominant win two months later at the U.S. Open. “I was very honest with myself and I knew what I needed to do differently,â€� McIlroy said after his eight-shot win at Congressional. “I had a clear picture in my mind of what I needed to do and where my focus needed to be when I got myself in that position again.â€� He started the final round of the 2011 Masters with a four-shot lead after making 15 birdies and just three bogeys over the first 54 holes. His lead was down to one shot after shooting 1-over 37 on the front nine, though. Things really started to fall apart on the 10th hole. He pull-hooked his tee shot near the cabins left of the hole and needed five shots to reach the green. He three-putted No. 11 and four-putted from 20 feet at the par-3 12th. He was 6 over on Nos. 10-12 and played Augusta National’s second nine in 43. “It’s going to be hard to take for a few days, but I’ll get over it,â€� he said. He proved that at the U.S. Open, where he claimed his first major. Eagles: 0 Birdies: 16 Bogeys: 7 Double-bogeys: 1 (No. 12, Round 4) Triple-bogeys: 1 (No. 10, Round 4) Fairways hit: T15, 40 of 56 Greens hit: T3, 54 of 72 Putts: T42, 124 2010 Finish: Missed cut Scores: 74-77–151, +7 What happened: McIlroy made just two birdies – both in the first round – en route to his only missed cut at the Masters. He hadn’t finished better than 40th in four PGA TOUR stroke-play starts before Augusta National, including a missed cut at the previous week’s Shell Houston Open. “I just didn’t play well and I need a bit of time to get it back on track,â€� McIlroy told the Belfast Telegraph. “I don’t know what is going on, I just need to take a bit of a break and come back with a refreshed attitude. I am getting frustrated very easily and getting down on myself. I just think that I need to go home and get my head sorted.â€� McIlroy, who also arrived at Augusta National with a slight back injury, said after the second round that he was taking an extended break from the game, and was debating whether to return at the following month’s Wells Fargo Championship or take a longer hiatus. “I might need a bit more time to let this injury clear up and clear my head,â€� he said. He did return at Wells Fargo, and should be glad he did. He shot a final-round 62 there to claim his first TOUR title. Eagles: 0 Birdies: 2 Bogeys: 7 Double-bogeys: 1 (No. 7, Round 2) Triple-bogeys: 0 Fairways hit: NR, 20 of 28 Greens hit: NR, 20 of 36 Putts: NR, 61 2009 Finish: T20 Scores: 72-73-71-70–286, -2 What happened: McIlroy was 19 years old when he made his Masters debut. He won his first professional title, the Dubai Desert Classic, earlier in the year and was No. 17 in the Official World Golf Ranking. The Masters was his first major as a professional. “It’s been a dream of mine for a long time to be able to play in the Masters, and for that dream to finally come true is a pretty special feeling,â€� McIlroy said. He moved into contention in the second round after making eagle at the par-5 13th to reach 4 under, but that was followed by a dramatic fall and a near-disqualification. He four-putted the par-3 16th for double-bogey, though, and made triple-bogey at the final hole after needing two shots to get out of a greenside bunker. Playing the final three holes in 5 over dropped McIlroy from sixth place to the cut line. He advanced to the weekend without a shot to spare. After barely surviving the cut, he was spared disqualification later in the day. McIlroy appeared to kick the sand after his first bunker shot at No. 18, which would constitute testing the surface of the hazard while his ball rested in it. The tournament’s rules committee met for four hours, and summoned McIlroy back to the course after 8 p.m., before releasing a statement that there was no infraction. He would have been disqualified had a penalty been assessed because he had already signed his card. McIlroy made a late charge in the final round to move into the top 25. He made six birdies in his final 10 holes, including on Nos. 15-17, to shoot 70. Eagles: 1 (No. 13, Round 2) Birdies: 14 Bogeys: 7 Double-bogeys: 2 (No. 16, Round 2; No. 6, Round 4) Triple-bogeys: 1 (No. 18, Round 2) Fairways hit: T24, 41 of 56 Greens hit: T39, 43 of 72 Putts: T5, 110

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