“The first year in a long time I came away from Augusta feeling really happy” - Rory McIlroy recalls playing a great final round at the 2022 Masters

Rory McIlroy played one of his best-ever rounds on April 10, 2022. The golfer was playing the final round of the 2022 Masters when he decided to up the game and play one of the best rounds in the majors’ history by firing a bogey-free 64 that had six birdies and an eagle.

A year after the memorable round, McIlroy has now come out to state that it was the ‘first time he’d ever left Augusta happy.’ Ranking it among the best moments of his golfing career, the four-time Major winner said that he “felt joy and happiness” after the round. It is pertinent to note that the round at Augusta National even had a near-impossible bunker shot at the 72nd hole.

Speaking in an interview about the 2022 Masters, Rory McIlroy said, as quoted by Golf Monthly:

“It was the first year in a long time I came away from Augusta feeling really happy about the week. Yes, I started too many shots behind on Sunday, but … when you get into scenarios like that, I didn’t know what Scottie (Scheffler) was doing so there’s still that hope that something could happen. He played great and ended up winning, but walking up that hill and going to sign my card on a Sunday, the dominant emotion has been disappointment.”

He added:

“That was the first year in a long time that I felt joy and happiness. I appreciated the moment and where I was rather than thinking about what I hadn’t done. It was almost like going through some sort of mental barrier. I wanted a 90-hole Masters rather than 72. I wanted another crack at it right away.

"I used that as a catalyst last year. My major performances were so much better than in the previous few years. The Masters was a springboard. I could have won all of them after that.”

It is pertinent to note that Scottie Scheffler won the 86th Masters. However, McIlroy’s strong performance was a major talking point from the event. The second place was the 33-year-old’s highest-ever Augusta finish. The Irishman carried the form after the event to win multiple events in the calendar.

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Rory McIlroy lauds the discipline of top Masters winners

However, Rory McIlroy is not content with the result. Replying to a query on whether he might’ve cracked the ‘Masters code,’ the PGA Tour star said that he remains humbled while playing at Augusta.

He said, as quoted by the Irish Examiner:

“That’s a dangerous way to think. You always have to be, not quite ‘on guard’, but the one thing Augusta requires is discipline. The moment you feel too confident or you get away from that discipline is the moment Augusta will bite you. You have to be so on your game.

"Look at the two most successful players in history at Augusta, Tiger (Woods) and Jack (Nicklaus). They built their game around patience and discipline.”

It is pertinent to note that McIlroy has always given high praises to Woods and Nicklaus, who have 11 Masters between them. While the Irishman is yet to win a Masters, he remains a favorite among fans at this year’s event. With LIV golfers also in the question, it’ll be interesting to see how McIlroy performs.