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Is Rory’s Sunday Performance a Foreshadow of Great Things to Come

By Jake Klausner

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 10: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts after chipping in for birdie from the bunker on the 18th green during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 10: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts after chipping in for birdie from the bunker on the 18th green during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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We all know Rory’s misfortune in majors in recent years, but after Sunday’s final round performance at the Masters, could we be seeing the old Rory McIlroy?. Sunday’s final round performance gave us a glimpse of what we were missing out of Rory when playing in the majors.

Rory McIlroy, Major Championships, Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship
Rory McIlroy, Major Championships (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /

It’s now more than ten years since Rory McIlroy burst onto the scene with an emphatic victory at the U.S. Open at Congressional. He followed that up with two PGA Championships and a British Open. By 2014, Rory already had four majors to his credit.

At that point, Rory was just one major away from completing a grand slam at such a young age. However, that was when the game of golf had other ideas. It seems as if the concept of winning another major has gotten to Rory’s head. Not just winning, getting out of the first round appears to be the main issue.

Rory McIlroy, Major Championships, Masters, PGA Championship, British Open, U.S. Open
Rory McIlroy, Major Championships (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images) /

Since his win at Valhalla in 2014, Rory McIlroy is a shocking 35 over-par in the first round in majors. We amateurs would be lucky to shoot 35 over-par in one round. However, it wouldn’t be a highlight of our golfing career, but it is still worth mentioning.

If you take his blunders and compare that to when Rory was competing in majors in 2010-2014, he was 19 under-par in the first round, 16 strokes better than everyone else. Again, we amateurs would be drooling over this.

Despite his first-round struggles, the Northern Irishmen has posted 14 top 10s in majors, including a runner-up finish at this year’s Masters.

Can Rory McIlroy recapture that Major Championship magic?

That brings me to my next point: Does Rory McIlroy have what it takes to find that Major form?

Before the Masters, I honestly wasn’t sure if he had it in him, but I think his performance in the final round of the Masters woke up a dormant piece of him that was desperately waiting to come out.

The Masters this year was a grind for a lot of players, but Rory handled it like a champ. The first three days were windy and Rory managed to shoot 73-73-71 before going on to shoot 64 on Sunday.

Next. 2022 Masters: Tyrrell Hatton Bemoans ‘Unfair’ Augusta National. dark

For Rory McIlroy to get back to where he once was, he has to get it out of his head. Like Tiger, Rory is a golfer who likes to build off momentum; he wants to build off that one birdie and convert that into more. Something he did so well during that four-year stretch when he was on top of the mountain.