In Northern Ireland, debate is already raging as to whether Rory McIlroy has presented himself as the country’s greatest ever sportsperson. The answer is surely obvious. Step aside, George Best. McIlroy’s Masters triumph may even force Sports Personality of the Year to afford due recognition to golf. It is only April but it feels highly unlikely the scene immediately after McIlroy claimed the Masters on Sunday will be matched. His pounding of the turf; his tears absorbed more than a decade of such deep frustration. The moment reverberated beyond sport; Rory had done it. Grown men, lots of them, shed tears on his behalf as he broke his Augusta hoodoo.
There was trauma at Royal Portrush in 2019 but the Open Championship’s return this summer offers McIlroy a platform to settle a score at a venue he has known since childhood. He will naturally target Faldo and the half‑dozen when, still aged just 35, he has a decent window to endorse his greatness with a much bigger major tally. “This will take the world off his shoulders and I think you’ll see a lot more great golf out of Rory McIlroy,” said Jack Nicklaus, the 18-time major winner. Nicklaus has not lost his touch; he tipped McIlroy to win the Masters on Thursday morning.
McIlroy’s competitive longevity does not get sufficient credit. A glance at the world golf rankings from the end of 2014, when he last won two majors, leads you to ponder “whatever happened to … ” time and again. Justin Rose, who came so close to shattering McIlroy’s dream, is notable at No 6.
Sunday at the Masters was no time for vocal engagement. Bryson DeChambeau could not handle McIlroy’s Masters charge, the American later raising, in slightly snippy terms, the fact the champion did not speak to him mid-round. If DeChambeau wants small talk, he should head to a coffee morning.
McIlroy’s working‑class upbringing, with his mother combining several jobs, adds to this fairytale. Nothing came easily in Holywood. Mention the theory of God-given talent and McIlroy recoils; he has worked, worked and worked for everything in this sport. Harry Diamond, McIlroy’s caddie, is a lifelong best friend who has been unfairly castigated as majors slipped through fingers. Diamond deliberately shuns the limelight when his role in McIlroy’s ongoing achievement should be recognised.
Luke Donald, McIlroy’s neighbour in Florida, will take great delight in the Masters outcome. One of umpteen strands associated with McIlroy’s playoff win is that it took place in a Ryder Cup year. Come September and Bethpage, Donald will be calling upon a McIlroy still riding his Augusta wave.
McIlroy needed a Masters win to shift his own psychological status. This was the plot twist of all plot twists. It was, furthermore, a reminder to enjoy him while he lasts. McIlroy, the generational talent, has no European peer.
