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Rory McIlroy's nail-biting Masters win on Sunday was one of the best moments in his professional career. The Northern Irishman finally got the green jacket on his 17th attempt at Augusta National. He also became the sixth golfer to secure a career grand slam.
This victory did not come easy for McIlroy. Before this, he had won all the other three golf majors at least once. He had to wait for years, and 17 attempts to finally lift the Masters title. McIlroy went through years of struggle, near misses, heartbreaks, and failures in Augusta National Golf Club.
Here are five instances of Rory McIlroy's near misses at the prestigious golf major. Take a look:
#1. Rory McIlroy's runner-up finish in 2022
McIlroy had never come this close to winning the green jacket before 2022. In that year, the PGA Tour pro really had an uphill task in front of him. Before playing the final 18 holes, Rory McIlroy had to overcome a 10-shot deficit.
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During the final round, he put forth a stellar performance. While playing on the 18th hole, McIlroy even scored a birdie. However, despite finishing the final round with a 64 (-8), his efforts fell short in front of Scottie Scheffler.
#2. Solo fourth place finish in 2015
Rory McIlroy finished six shots back of Jordan Spieth, who won his one and only green jacket in 2015. At the half-way mark, McIlroy had scored a 142 after 36 holes (overall 71-71).
His third round ended with a score of 68. McIlroy's final round on Sunday landed him with a round total of 66, taking his score to 12-under. Spieth, who was 21 at that time, outclassed the Northern Irish professional.
#3. T5 in 2018
The then four-time major champion missed one of his best chances at winning the fifth major in 2018. Rory McIlroy was in the final pairing with Patrick Reed, as the duo competed for the coveted green jacket.
After scoring 65 in third round, the Northern Irishman was a strong contender. However, McIlroy's final round was responsible for his gradual debacle. Rory bogeyed five times at hole 3, hole 5, hole 8, hole 11, and hole 14. Reed won the Masters Tournament that year.
#4. T5 in 2020
In 2020, Rory McIlroy concluded his run for the green jacket by tying for fifth on the leaderboard, nine shots behind 2020 Masters winner Dustin Johnson. He finished his opening round with a disappointing 75.
In the final 54 holes, McIlroy did his best to bounce back into contention. He scored 66, 67, and 69 in rounds 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Still, McIlroy wasn't able to contend, ending the tournament at 11-under par (277).
#5. T7 in 2017
Rory McIlroy had a bogey free opening round and final round at the 2017 Masters. However, the Northern Irishman bogeyed five times in his second round at Augusta National. He scored a total of eight bogeys in four rounds, finishing with an overall score of 72-73-71-69.
McIlroy had a strong performance in the final round. However, his inconsistent putting in the first 54 holes meant that he fell short of the title. McIlroy finished six strokes behind the 2017 Masters winner Sergio Garcia.
Despite all the heartbreaks and the weight of failure pressing down on his shoulders, Rory finally did it at Augusta with nerves of steel. His performance on Sunday helped etch his name in the history books as one of the world's best golfers of all time.
