The Masters : Can Rory McIlroy Finally Complete Career Grand Slam?

Rory McIlroy has a game that is seemingly tailor-made for Augusta National. The long drives, the high irons that can hold Augusta’s treacherous slopes, the steely putting – the Northern Irishman has all the components of a top Masters contender. McIlroy was on his way to validating this in 2011, when he carried a 4 shot lead into the final round. Seeking his first major at the tender age of 21, Rory…did not win. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zVkqFXXcO0

McIlroy overcame his ghastly 80 to win his first major in his next opportunity, the 2011 U.S. Open. He quickly established himself as the best player of his generation with three additional major wins, and seemed destined to slip on the green jacket and become the 6th player to win the ‘Modern’ Grand Slam (victories at The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship). Fast forward to the present day, and Rory still has not conquered Augusta. Was 2011 his best shot? Is 2021 finally the year he breaks through and joins the illustrious group of Masters Champions?

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The four-time major champion is incredibly candid with the media and often speaks about the pressure he puts on himself to win The Masters. Brian Wacker’s piece in 2017 perfectly describes this – Rory said The Masters is ‘stressful’ and he is ‘trying to deal with the pressure of it’. Nearly always opening as a pre-tournament favorite, McIlroy may be beaten down by Augusta. With his first opportunity to complete the career Grand Slam in 2015, he finished 4th, though 6 shots behind Jordan Spieth. He hasn’t finished better since. Some of the lowlights include:

• Entering the 2016 3rd round one behind leader Spieth but going out and shooting 77 in tough conditions and never contending on Sunday.
• Joining Patrick Reed in the final group on Sunday in 2018, missing a short eagle on the 2nd, bogeying #3 and fading with a 74.
• Opening with a 75 last November, essentially putting himself out of contention before the weekend. Despite playing the final 54 holes in -14 Rory could not climb higher than a tie for 5th.

Is 2021 the year for Rory? Well, if you listen to him discuss his new perspective (courtesy of Tiger Woods), it would appear so. Words – especially those in a pre-tournament press conference – are cheap, and McIlroy’s game needs to do the talking. This season his game has done plenty of talking…just with nothing good to say. The 18-time PGA Tour winner has not captured a title since November 2019, and his golf has been suboptimal this season. Renowned for his ball-striking, Rory ranks 80th in Strokes Gained: Approach and has racked up only on top-5 – the aforementioned 2020 Masters where he never contented. He missed the cut – badly – at The Players, where he lamented chasing distance ala Bryson DeChambeau before not making the knockout stage in his most recent start at the WGC Match Play.

So most signs point to 2021, in fact, not being McIlroy’s year. He is no longer a wunderkind – he turns 32 next month – and knows each passing year presents him less and less chances to grab the 4th leg of his Grand Slam. But when has playing well, coming in as the favorite with sky-high expectations ever worked for Rory at Augusta? Maybe this year – coming off the strangest year in human history, with his game in poor form and freed of previous expectations – is the year Rory pulls this off. The golf world sure hopes it is.