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Rory McIlroy kept alive the mystique of the Masters.
While his international fame continues to grow, McIlroy’s dramatic playoff win over Justin Rose Sunday is still the talk of the sports world. It was just another remarkable finish of so many that have occurred at Augusta National.
My favorite dates back to 1961, when I was barely out of grade school and just becoming a golf fan thanks to Arnold Palmer, the legendary leader of Arnie’s Army that stormed the fairways to keep up with the L&M-smoking Palmer, by far the most popular golfer in the game.
Heavy rains on Sunday flooded several greens and the round was erased even though 10 golfers had already finished. The entire field teed off on Monday morning and Palmer was two-under after nine holes and in the lead. By the 18th hole, he was one-shot up on Gary Player, who had carded a disappointing 40 on the back nine, including an up-and-down from a greenside bunker on No. 18. That turned out to be his savior.
All Arnie needed was a par 4 to win his third green jacket in four years. But Palmer also found the soggy bunker and thinned it over the green down a slope and now had to get up and down for a bogie and force a playoff.
But to a huge groan from the massive gallery surrounding 18, he missed a 15-foot putt to make South African Player the first international champion at the Masters, his first of three. Old-timers had to think of that when the 35-year-old McIlroy hit it into the same bunker 64 years later and missed the par putt to win in regulation.
In the sudden-death playoff back on 18, McIlroy and now co-leader Rose hit almost perfect drives. The Englishman left it about 12 feet to the right of the flagstick. Rory, who admitted later to being more nervous than he had even been on a golf course, dropped it five feet from the hole.
After Rose’s birdie putt slid by on the right side, McIlroy rolled his in as he thrusted both arms over his head, let the putter fly and went down on both knees to bury his head in tears of victory as the Northern Irishman completed the career Grand Slam that has added even more to his popularity around the world.
He hugged his wife and daughter and dozens of friends walking to Butler Cabin for the championship ceremony. The kid who once barely could afford tokens at the driving range cemented his place as the No. 1 golfer on the planet, now free to win many more majors.
And he was so humble as he reflected on his near-miss at August in 2011 and now his place with Sarazen, Hogan, Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger and Arnie for winning the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA championship in his career.
Roars for Rory.
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Featured image via Associated Press/Matt Slocum
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
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