Rory McIlroy held his nerve to win the Masters for the second consecutive year on Sunday.
The Northern Irishman started Sunday in the lead alongside Cameron Young. His bid to become just the fourth player to retain the Masters took a huge blow when he double-bogeyed the par 3 fourth and then dropped another shot at the sixth.
McIlroy bounced back in some style, though, as he made birdies on holes seven, eight, 12 and 13. The reigning champion walked onto the 18th tee with a two-shot lead and, despite bogeying the last, it was enough for him to clinch victory as he beat Scottie Scheffler by a single stroke.
McIlroy, considered one of the greatest golfers ever, said earlier this week that he had been making frequent trips to Augusta National in the lead up to the tournament. Speaking after winning the Masters, he again spoke of how much he had prepared in an attempt to retain his title. He said:
“I joked last week and going into this week that this place feels like my home course. I haven’t played anywhere else in the last two or three weeks really. I felt prepared in that way. I felt prepared that wherever I hit it on the golf course, I sort of know what to do. I know where to miss. I’m pretty comfortable with all the shots around the greens.
“I’m not going to take three weeks off before every major. To get to the major venues early, do your preparation. Actually play. Go out there with one ball, shoot a score. Try to do it that way.
“I’ve talked to Jack Nicklaus over the years how he prepared for majors, and he would go the week before, and he would simulate a tournament. He’d play one ball for four days, shoot scores. So then when he got to the tournament, it was sort of – it felt second nature to him.
“I did a little bit of that leading up to here, and I think that’s certainly a good way to prepare going into the next majors.”
Rory McIlroy talked all week about how many times he came to Augusta National to prepare in recent weeks. I asked whether this was the most prepared he felt in a major.
“I joked last week and going into this week that this place feels like my home course. I haven’t played
By virtue of winning the Masters last year, McIlroy was given honorary membership, meaning he can play at Augusta National whenever he chooses.
While he hasn’t done anything wrong in playing Augusta so much in the past few weeks, some golf fans think the perk gave him an unfair advantage, and they’ve called for a rule change.
A second wrote: “This is just wrong! On all levels of fairness. Course should be closed a month before, so no one has a huge advantage!” while a third commented: “This seems a bit unfair to me somehow. There should be equal access, or for the privileged, limited access.”
A fourth said: “Insane that this is allowed by Augusta,” while a fifth stated: “All credit to him winning, but most golfers don’t have the means or ability fly back and forth and actually play this course multiple times. Puts most of the field at a competitive disadvantage.”
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