Rory McIlroy hailed ‘a dream come true’ after an epic victory saw him win his first Masters and complete a historic grand slam.
The 35-year-old held his nerve in a tense play-off with England’s Justin Rose to take the green jacket amid emotional scenes at an adoring Augusta National.
A four-foot putt for birdie triggered tears from McIlroy, who ended a barren major run of 11 years and countless near misses.
‘I have dreamt about that moment for as long as I can remember,’ he said. ‘There were points in my career where I didn’t know if I would have this nice garment over my shoulders, but I didn’t make it easy today.’
McIlroy had a commanding four-shot lead at the turn but dropped multiple shots missed a six-footer to win at the 18th after Rose had closed in.
‘I was nervous,’ he added. ‘It was one of the toughest days I’ve ever had on the golf course.’
Rory McIlroy hailed ‘a dream come true’ after an epic victory saw him win his first Masters
McIlroy emerged victorious from a play-off with Justin Rose after making birdie on the first play-off hole
Rose set the tone in the play-off with a brilliant approach to the hole but McIlroy went one better
With the famous jacket around his shoulders he revealed the emotion was ‘all relief’ when his winning, play-off putt dropped and he sank to his knees and sobbed.
‘I’ve carried that burden since August 2014,’ he said. ‘It’s nearly 11 years. And not just about winning my next major, but the career Grand Slam. You know, trying to join a group of five players to do it, you know, watching a lot of my peers get green jackets in the process. Yeah, it’s been difficult. It was a heavy weight to carry, and thankfully now I don’t have to carry it and it frees me up and I know I’m coming back here every year, which is lovely.’
McIlroy added that he hoped to head home to see his parents next week and, when asked if he would be taking the green jacket to his beloved Old Trafford, he joked: ‘If it can inspire some better play, absolutely!’
Before heading off to celebrate, he hailed one of the best days of his life.
‘It’s up there,’ he said. ‘I’m not going to compare it to life moments like a marriage or having a child. But it’s the best day of my golfing life. And yeah, I’m very proud of myself. I’m proud of never giving up. I’m proud of how I kept coming back and dusting myself off and not letting the disappointments really get to me. Talking about that eternal optimist again. Yeah, very proud.’
