This was supposed to be the year that Rory McIlroy finally cracked Augusta.
He was in form. He was prepared. He was ready.
That elusive Masters victory was all that was required for McIlroy to cement his place among the golfing greats by joining the illustrious group of golfers who have won all four majors.
He should already have at least one Green Jacket already.
But the scars remain from his horrible collapse in 2011. He led by four shots heading into the final round as he chased his maiden major but carded a final round of 80 to plummet down the leaderboard.
Seven top-10 finishes from 15 starts is enough evidence to suggest this is a course where McIlroy can triumph. There aren’t many – if any – where this is not the case.
Hopes were raised this time after his runner-up finish last year.
A stunning final round of 64 appeared to give him the belief he could finally turn his Masters goal into a reality.
The Northern Irishman invested a huge amount of time getting ready for this year’s opening major.
He admitted last Tuesday that he had already played 81 holes at Augusta in the two weeks prior to the event. That is an unusual level of preparation for a player of McIlroy’s calibre who already possesses plenty of experience of the challenges around Augusta.
McIlroy was trending nicely in the lead-up to the major with a win at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic followed by a runner-up placing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and a third-place at the WGC Match Play.
It looked like the stage was set for McIlroy to finally conquer his Masters demons. Plenty of seasoned golf writers felt this was going to be his week.
He also had the good fortune of being on the right side of the draw as the wet weather wreaked havoc over the opening days but, frustratingly, he couldn’t take advantage.
Instead a low key first round of 72 was followed by a hugely disappointing 77 as he made an early exit back down Magnolia Lane.
It is bewildering to see a player of McIlroy’s undoubted talent and class struggle to make the cut at the major with the smallest field.
Nine long years have passed since McIlroy last won a major.
Despite his Masters woes it’s entirely possible he ends that drought this year, particularly at this year’s Open venue, Royal Liverpool, where he lifted the Claret Jug in 2014.
McIlroy turns 34 next month – he still has plenty of chances to win at Augusta ahead of him.
But to complete the set, he will need to learn how to get out of his own way and produce his best golf – and that is going to be easier said than done.
While McIlroy’s play wasn’t anywhere near his scintillating best, he did provide one of the highlights by doing the first ‘walk-and-talk’ interview at The Masters.
Sir Nick Faldo felt the former world number one was wrong to agree to be mic’d up at Augusta, believing it would have a negative impact on McIlroy’s focus and concentration levels.
Every interview I’ve done this week is all about giving 100% concentration to yourself and the task at hand, so why? https://t.co/yyuFHfNd67
— Sir Nick Faldo (@NickFaldo006) April 7, 2023
A needless distraction? Maybe but hearing McIlroy talk through his shot selections and provide instant feedback after hitting shots was fascinating.
It’s likely to be something that the top players are going to have to get increasingly used to doing in the coming years as broadcasters continue to want more bang for their bucks.
McIlroy will have left the Masters disappointed and likely with more questions than answers.
It felt like he had prepared perfectly this time but the outcome was nothing like he imagined.
If the day comes when McIlroy finally get his hand on a Green Jacket, it will be one of the great golfing stories and a true tale of redemption after so many years of frustration.
But after another chance to win at Augusta passes him by, it’s much harder to see that long-term objective coming to fruition.
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