The haunting Masters meltdown that changed Rory McIlroy’s career | CNN

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**The missing piece**

McIlroy’s contentment came with a caveat: it would be “unthinkable” if he did not win The Masters in his career.

Yet as he prepares for his 15th appearance at Augusta National this week, a green jacket remains an elusive missing item from his wardrobe.

Despite seven top-10 finishes in his past 10 Masters outings, the trophy remains the only thing separating McIlroy from joining the ranks of golf immortals to have completed golf’s career grand slam of all four majors in the modern era: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.

A runner-up finish to Scottie Scheffler last year marked McIlroy’s best finish at Augusta, yet arguably 2011 remains the closest he has ever been to victory. A slow start in 2022 meant McIlroy had begun Sunday’s deciding round 10 shots adrift of the American, who teed off for his final hole with a five-shot lead despite McIlroy’s brilliant 64 finish.

At 33 years old, time is still on his side. Though 2022 extended his major drought to eight years, it featured arguably his best golf since that golden season in 2014.

And as McIlroy knows better than most, things can change quickly at Augusta National.

**The missing piece**

McIlroy’s contentment came with a caveat: it would be “unthinkable” if he did not win The Masters in his career.

Yet as he prepares for his 15th appearance at Augusta National this week, a green jacket remains an elusive missing item from his wardrobe.

Despite seven top-10 finishes in his past 10 Masters outings, the trophy remains the only thing separating McIlroy from joining the ranks of golf immortals to have completed golf’s career grand slam of all four majors in the modern era: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.

A runner-up finish to Scottie Scheffler last year marked McIlroy’s best finish at Augusta, yet arguably 2011 remains the closest he has ever been to victory. A slow start in 2022 meant McIlroy had begun Sunday’s deciding round 10 shots adrift of the American, who teed off for his final hole with a five-shot lead despite McIlroy’s brilliant 64 finish.

At 33 years old, time is still on his side. Though 2022 extended his major drought to eight years, it featured arguably his best golf since that golden season in 2014.

And as McIlroy knows better than most, things can change quickly at Augusta National.

**The missing piece**

McIlroy’s contentment came with a caveat: it would be “unthinkable” if he did not win The Masters in his career.

Yet as he prepares for his 15th appearance at Augusta National this week, a green jacket remains an elusive missing item from his wardrobe.

Despite seven top-10 finishes in his past 10 Masters outings, the trophy remains the only thing separating McIlroy from joining the ranks of golf immortals to have completed golf’s career grand slam of all four majors in the modern era: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.

A runner-up finish to Scottie Scheffler last year marked McIlroy’s best finish at Augusta, yet arguably 2011 remains the closest he has ever been to victory. A slow start in 2022 meant McIlroy had begun Sunday’s deciding round 10 shots adrift of the American, who teed off for his final hole with a five-shot lead despite McIlroy’s brilliant 64 finish.

At 33 years old, time is still on his side. Though 2022 extended his major drought to eight years, it featured arguably his best golf since that golden season in 2014.

And as McIlroy knows better than most, things can change quickly at Augusta National.
 
🤔 the thing i dont get about mcilroys career is how he keeps showing up at the masters and never actually winning it 🙄 its like hes trying to prove a point or something 🚫 anyways, 33 is still young for a major win but its getting old that this is his last chance lol
 
you know how rory mcilroy's near win is a big deal? i think its more about the pressure on him to win the masters now. at 33, people are starting to assume he'll never get that one last slam. but what if he does? it would be amazing for golf to see someone finally complete that career grand slam. and even tho rory's had some great finishes, that 2011 year was like a flash in the pan - i wonder if he can recapture that magic or if his best days are behind him 🤔
 
🤔 you know what's wild about mcilroy's situation? it's like he's stuck between the past and the present... all those good years of golf, but then this drought hits and now he's getting closer to his goal but also feeling the weight of time passing him by. 33 isn't old for a pro golfer, but it's still not forever. what does that say about our society? we're always chasing these goals, these milestones, like they're some kind of validation of our worth... and meanwhile, life just keeps moving forward no matter how well you perform. 🕰️
 
😐 I'm so tired of seeing Rory McIlroy not win the Masters 🤦‍♂️ He's been close like 10 times already and it's starting to feel like he'll never get that elusive green jacket 😅 At least he's still playing well and giving it his all, though 👏

McIlroy needs to just relax and let his game speak for itself 🙏 No pressure, right? 🤪 And I'm loving the fact that he's still got a few good years left in him at 33 😎 Maybe this is the year he finally breaks through 💪

Has anyone else noticed how quickly things can change on the golf course? Like one bad round and you're back to square one 🔄 It's all about mental toughness and staying focused, I suppose 👍
 
OMG 🤯 he's only 33 and still chasing that elusive Masters win! I feel bad for Rory, he's been so close but just can't quite grasp it 😔. But hey, the guy has been on fire since 2014, so fingers crossed this is the year 💪. And let's be real, Augusta can be super unpredictable, anything can happen there 🔮. McIlroy needs to stay focused and bring his A game if he wants to make that green jacket his reality 🏆
 
I mean, you gotta feel for Rory McIlroy right now 🤔. He's been close so many times and the Masters is like the last piece of a puzzle he needs to complete his career grand slam 🔩.

Here are some mind-blowing stats that'll give you an idea of just how close he's come:

- 7 top-10 finishes in his last 10 Masters outings 📊
- Runner-up finish to Scottie Scheffler last year, which was his best finish at Augusta in years 🏆
- Closest he's ever been to victory: 2011 (remember that season in 2014? 🤯)

And let's not forget the stats on Rory himself:

- 33 years old, still got time to achieve greatness 🕰️
- Average score at Masters: 70.8 strokes per round 📈

I think it's safe to say that McIlroy's confidence is sky-high right now 💪... but can he actually get the job done? Only time will tell 🤞.

Here are some interesting comparison stats:

- Tiger Woods completed his career grand slam at 35 years old ⏰
- Jack Nicklaus achieved his with an average score of 71.4 strokes per round 📊

Time's ticking, Rory! Will you be the one to join the golf immortals? 🤔
 
🤔 I think Rory's been making excuses about not winning the Masters for too long... He's still got it in him to pull off a win, but at 33, he should be thinking more about how he's going to celebrate his first green jacket rather than dwelling on what could've been. Still, Augusta can be a cruel mistress 😏.
 
🤔 This Masters thing has got Rory McIlroy feeling a bit anxious, right? I mean, seven top-10 finishes at Augusta isn't bad, but that green jacket is still MIA 😅. 33 and counting, he's still got time to get it done... but we've seen how quickly things can change on the course at Augusta 🌳.

Still, his 2011 season was pretty epic, and last year's runner-up finish was a solid effort. Maybe this is the year? 💪 We'll just have to wait and see what unfolds this week 👀
 
omg u guyz r u kiddin me?? Rory McIlroy's been tryna win the Masters for like forever & still no green jacket 😂🏆 his best finish last yr was 2nd & even then he was 5 shots behind scottie scheffler... i feel 4 him tho, he's still got time on his side & he played some of the best golf since 2014! 🙌🏻🎯 let's see if he can finally get that elusive win at augusta national this wk 🤞
 
you know what's wild about mcilroy's situation? he's got so close, yet so far 😔. like, think about it - 7 top-10 finishes in 10 attempts, and still no green jacket to show for it. that's like being stuck on the same highway for years, just cruising by your goal without ever actually getting there 🚗. but here's the thing: time is still on his side... or is it? maybe that's the real question 😕. at 33, he's not old, but neither is he young anymore. does he get a second chance to make history, or will he forever be stuck in "almost" mode 🤔?
 
😩🏌️‍♂️ oh man i feel so bad for rory mcilroy he's been so close to winning the masters and yet it slips right through his hands every time... 7 top 10 finishes in 10 years is insane and that one run in 2011 was literally his best chance, but what can you do when it doesn't happen? 🤦‍♂️

i love how he's saying it would be "unthinkable" for him not to win the masters, like he knows it's meant to be or something... and now at 33 he's still got time on his side which is good but also makes me think about all the what ifs if he had won that one time in 2011... 🤔

scottie scheffler last year beating him was a bummer, but i guess it's just golf and you can't win 'em all 🏆. anyway, fingers crossed for rory this week 🤞
 
You know how Rory McIlroy has been close so many times already, but still needs one more win at The Masters to join the big boys? 🤔 I feel for him, he's been working so hard and his game is actually getting better with age. 33 isn't old for a golfer, and I think he's got what it takes to take that green jacket home soon enough. Maybe he just needs one of those magic weeks where everything clicks? 💫
 
I don't think he's going to win the Masters this year 🤔... but on the other hand, I'm convinced he will because of his incredible past performances 🎯! Seven top-10 finishes in 10 years is a remarkable achievement, and he's still only 33, so time is indeed on his side ⏰. Plus, who knows what can happen at Augusta National - it's like the whole course is playing against him, but that's exactly why I think he'll surprise everyone with a win 🤸‍♂️!
 
I think Rory McIlroy should just relax and enjoy the fact that he's still playing super well 🙌. He has a ton of experience under his belt now and I'm sure he'll get that green jacket sooner or later 👕. It's crazy to think about all the top players who have won all four majors, though... it would be amazing for McIlroy to join that list 💪
 
omg, 33 and still chasing that green jacket 🙌 its crazy how much pressure Rory's under to win the masters next week, but honestly, he's got this 💪 his game has been looking sharp lately, even if it did take a hit last year he bounced back strong so yeah, lets see what this week brings 🤞
 
omg i'm so hyped for rory mcilroy this week!! he's been close before and i know he can do it 🤞😅 i mean yeah the major drought is 8 years but come on rory you've got this! you're only getting older and smarter, your game will just get better! 😎 besides who needs a green jacket when u have style like rory mcilroy 😉👕 i'm all about that #TeamRory 👊
 
lol what's the deal with Rory McIlroy and The Masters? Dude's been so close yet so far, like 7 top-10 finishes ain't getting him that green jacket 🤣. I mean, he's 33 now, time is still on his side, but at this rate, I'd be surprised if he doesn't have to wait till retirement age to finally get it 🕰️😂. Can you imagine the celebrations?
 
he's gotta do his best this week 🤞, you know? can't put too much pressure on himself, but at the same time, he wants to win that green jacket 😅 it's like, what happens next year, right? could be a game-changer for him in terms of career longevity ⏰
 
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