Rory / Masters

[Frayed Knot]

Just finished watching The Masters via tape delay ... and if Rory McIlroy had lost this one he would have needed a removal of all sharp objects around him plus at least a year on a Psychiatrist's couch.

- started with a two shot lead then immediately lost it with a Double Bogey on #1 before eventually upping it to five following Birdies on 10 & 11
- then managed to blow it all within about 20 minutes after dunking a Wedge into a creek for a Double-Bogey on the Par 5 13th (pros don't Double Par Fives, especially not with a wedge to the green for their 3rd). It was his fourth double of the tourney and second of the final round (one & 13)
- losing the lead was one thing but he actually slipped behind by a shot as Justin Rose roared back to re-claim his 1st & 2nd round lead
- hit a great approach on 15 to set up an Eagle but missed a makable putt and had to 'settle' for Birdie to re-take the lead
- but it wasn't enough as Rose hit a bomb of a putt for Bird on 18 to re-tie
- one hole behind Rose, Rory had a shorter Birdie putt on 18 for the win in regulation but missed it and it was Sudden Death playoff time (18th hole again)
- Rose hit a great shot with his second but Rory followed with a better one to within four feet of the cup.
- Rose barely missed his Birdie putt before Rory Finally hit a clutch one and collapsed in puddle of tears right in the middle of the green

It was his first major win in 14 years, his first ever Masters (17 tries), and he became the 6th ever golfer to win the 'Career Grand Slam'* [Masters, PGA, US Open, British Open]



* Gene Sarzen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy

[metirish]

Rory doesn't make it easy , I suppose that's just part of who he is , the way he plays , happy to see he got over this hump

[Centerfield]

I haven't paid attention to golf in so long I hadn't realized Rory got so old. I'm happy for him. Seems like a great guy. I like that he spoke out without reservation against the Saudi league.

I'm also glad he won because his name is among the few I recognize on the leaderboard (Scheffler, Bubba Watson, Spieth) and definitely the only one I'd recognize if they sat across from me on the train.

[Frayed Knot]

Rory doesn't make it easy , I suppose that's just part of who he is , the way he plays ...

The weird part was that he wasn't playing recklessly at all when he had the lead. He just hit a handful of bad shots at bad times. Mental? Physical? Shit happens? A combo of all of the above? I have no idea.
On that Par 5 13th where it first started to crash down on him, he actually laid up with his second shot rather than risk going for the green but tempting the creek ... and then he hit his pitch shot into the creek anyway. He mis-hit another shortie a few holes later. And while he didn't miss any gimme putts down the stretch, after the two good ones on 10 & 11 to build what would be his biggest lead, he seemed to miss every coin flip putt after that, until the OT hole.

And that's the sort of thing that separated Tiger from any of his contemporaries, he NEVER beat himself either mentally or physically. Rory and Spieth have as well as plenty of others. Phil once blew a U.S. Open* by stupidly hitting a driver with no reason to do so while holding the lead on the 18th tee. But watching Tiger with a lead was the most boring golf in the world because he knew, you knew, and all his competitors knew, that he wasn't going to give them an opening.




* and he'd never win one. 11 Top Tens including six times where he was 2nd or T-2, but no victories and that's his missing piece of the 'Career Slam'

[metirish]

Some of the iconic images we see floating around of Rory and others at The Masters were taken by.... Ken Griffey Jr, credentialed photographer at this year's Masters for Getty

[Centerfield]

Rory doesn't make it easy , I suppose that's just part of who he is , the way he plays ...

The weird part was that he wasn't playing recklessly at all when he had the lead. He just hit a handful of bad shots at bad times. Mental? Physical? Shit happens? A combo of all of the above? I have no idea.
On that Par 5 13th where it first started to crash down on him, he actually laid up with his second shot rather than risk going for the green but tempting the creek ... and then he hit his pitch shot into the creek anyway. He mis-hit another shortie a few holes later. And while he didn't miss any gimme putts down the stretch, after the two good ones on 10 & 11 to build what would be his biggest lead, he seemed to miss every coin flip putt after that, until the OT hole.

And that's the sort of thing that separated Tiger from any of his contemporaries, he NEVER beat himself either mentally or physically. Rory and Spieth have as well as plenty of others. Phil once blew a U.S. Open* by stupidly hitting a driver with no reason to do so while holding the lead on the 18th tee. But watching Tiger with a lead was the most boring golf in the world because he knew, you knew, and all his competitors knew, that he wasn't going to give them an opening.




* and he'd never win one. 11 Top Tens including six times where he was 2nd or T-2, but no victories and that's his missing piece of the 'Career Slam'

One of the things that makes me smile is the thought of Phil Mickelson making dumbass mistakes and falling short of the career slam.

[Centerfield]

I'll never forget that spineless piece of crap trying to justify his sellout as anything but a cash grab.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... 0biography.

“I don’t condone human rights violations at all. I’m certainly aware of what has happened with Jamal Khashoggi and I think it’s terrible. I have also seen the good that the game of golf has done throughout history and I believe LIV Golf is going to do a lot of good for the game as well.”

I'm well aware of the human rights violations and I don't condone that at all. At the same time, they are paying me a boatload of money and I think I've made it clear throughout my career that I am a dickhead and would do this kind of thing without a thought.

He also declined to confirm if he is receiving $200m to compete in the LIV Golf events, but his answer indicated that the reported amount may be accurate. “I feel that contract agreements should be private,” Mickelson added. “Doesn’t seem to be the case, but it should be.”

I really wish I could have taken that blood money without having to answer for it. But I guess it's out there. What are you gonna do.