It’s safe to say Rory McIlroy’s Masters win captured the imagination of not only the golfing world but the sporting one too. From the heartache of Thursday’s collapse to the joy of Sunday’s playoff win and everything in between, the 35-year-old finally completing the career slam will live long in the memories of many.
Sky Sports registered record viewing figures for their channels throughout Masters Sunday, and while the figures were no doubt boosted by Premier League and Formula One action, it was McIlroy’s final round where a chunk of the attention was. Couple that with the stunning scenes around Augusta National, where chants of “Rory” could be heard throughout the afternoon, with fans urging the County Down ace across the winning line.
According to Andrew Chandler, McIlroy’s former agent, the Irishman’s vulnerability made his story more entertaining to fans. Speaking to Sportsbook Review, Chandler said: “Because Rory is so fallible, he’s just a great watch. Nobody will have gone to bed tonight, will they? If it was Tiger Woods, by the time he got to 13 and laid up and made his pile and whatever, everybody will have gone to bed.
“He hit some unbelievable shots all week. At 12 and 14, absolutely unbelievable shots. The shot into 15 was crazy. To me, the way he hits it with a natural draw, he’s a much better player than when he starts fiddling about trying to hold it up and whatever. On 18, the first one, he tried to hold it up, the second one he just hit a swooping draw. He’s always had that game and that’s why Augusta was always a great golf course for him.”
The heightened drama is something McIlroy is unlikely to have enjoyed as much, given he had missed a putt for the Masters and the coveted slam prior to his playoff with Justin Rose. Speaking to Sky Sports after he’d been handed his green jacket, McIlroy explained: “I think the hardest thing has been, everyone else has either expected me to do it or said I’m going to do it at some point.
“It’s very flattering, but it doesn’t make it any easier and every year coming in, especially since 2015, feeling like you’re the centre of attention and the narrative and the storyline coming in. That’s been quite a burden to carry, I’ve got more comfortable but it sure feels nice not to have to carry that anymore.”
