It wasn’t the collapse from seven years earlier, far from it. If not for an errant tee shot on his 72nd hole, he may have secured his second green jacket.
Advertisement
Winning The Masters is one of the most prestigious achievements in golf. The hiatus left him feeling nostalgic during his walk to the 18th green. His worst performance in five appearances was a tie for 11th a year ago.
“A great day”, McIlroy said.
By the time McIlroy’s day mercifully ended, the bounce in his step was gone, replaced by a dejected look and slumping shoulders. He closed with a 74 and tied for fifth.
It also left him shaking his head, trying to figure out why it all went so bad. Hell, McIlroy could not even bring himself to say the phrase on Saturday night.
Yet for Thomas Bjorn, the Europe captain, the challenge at Le Golf National is quite enough to be dealing with for now.
Sunday outlook: McIlroy has awaited this opportunity ever since 2011, when he opened with rounds of 65, 69 and 70 and confidently led by four heading into Sunday.
Two standings where Reed is now a top-five player, however, are the European Tour’s Race to Dubai and the 2018 United States Ryder Cup Points List – both of which he now leads. McIlroy watched an errant tee shot at the final hole ricochet back into the fairway, setting up a birdie that could have easily been a bogey. Instead, I got this putt that you’ve got to hit sideways. “It’s going to be good fun”.
A collection of columns and stories about Masters champion Patrick Reed, who won the 2013 Wyndham Championship in a playoff victory over Jordan Spieth. “I just didn’t continue that golf into today”.
McIlroy never looked to trouble Reed as he struggled to set up birdie putts, and those that he did wouldn’t drop.
McIlroy did not sound like a man who was all that comfortable with the position he was in, even though he has clearly learned to feel comfortable with the course.
Reed has always been able to put the family drama aside on the course, as he did again during a final round when he was not at his very best.
“I mean, I have no idea and honestly I don’t really care what people say on Twitter or what they say if they are cheering for me or not cheering for me”.
Quote: “I think the biggest thing is just going out and playing golf”.
But Reed just kept making shots and knocking down putts to win the Masters at 15-under par, one shot better than Fowler.
This year, Patrick Reed took home $1.98 million for coming in first place at the tournament. “They’re a little harder on themselves than when they get older”. Patrick and I didn’t at all.
A run of six straight pars included a save at the 13th, where he waded into the azalea bushes to hit his third shot.
“I gave it my all”, he added.
In other words, if Nike plans to stick to this “storyline” at all the majors – something it has been doing at tennis Grand Slams for a few years – it will be a long time before Reed is allowed to wear red on Sunday at a major. But it will likely damage his psyche.
It’s a score that would’ve been good enough to win most years. I don’t know if you get any money for being there from the turn many Braga and sponsorships and stuff like that but Soviet Tiger Woods.
“Oh, yeah, 100 percent”, he said.
This was one of the great back-nine Sundays in the history of the Masters. “And I peaked at it four times over the course of my career, and it’s tiring”.
Advertisement
– Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless)Oh yeah, & I’m sure I’ve lost weight due to all the walking!
