Over the first 14 holes of Rory McIlroy’s first round of The Masters, there were genuine signs he was finally conquering the Augusta National demons accumulated over 16 previous failed attempts to win the Major.
As usual, the 35-year-old arrived in Georgia with huge expectations of finally completing his career Grand Slam, particularly after two wins in the opening months of the year.
McIlroy took that recent form and applied it brilliantly for the vast majority of his round, playing with calm assurance to move to four-under, until disaster struck at the par-5 15th. After leaving his second shot leaving beyond the green, he played his next too heavily, and could only watch as it rolled into the water.
He ended with a double bogey, and it got even worse soon after with another double bogey on the 17th before he completed an even-par 72.
Suddenly, from looking a near certainty to end the day challenging Justin Rose at the top of the leaderboard, he was T27th heading into the second round, with a seven-stroke gap to the leader.
Not for the first time after a bitter disappointment in recent memory, McIlroy then opted against speaking to the media, echoing his swift exit from Pinehurst No.2 after his crushing defeat against Bryson DeChambeau at last year’s US Open.
While McIIroy’s decision not to talk to reporters is sure to draw criticism, he is unlikely to be apologetic. During his pre-tournament press conference, he was asked about a similar move from Collin Morikawa after his dramatic defeat to Russell Henley at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
That was widely criticized, although McIlroy defended the two-time Major winner’s decision, saying: “Every other athlete, whether it be in the NBA, NFL, they're obligated to speak to you guys after a game. We're not. Whether that's something that the PGA Tour looks to in terms of putting that into their rules and regulations, but as long as that's not the case and we have that option to opt out whenever we want, expect guys to do that from time to time.”
In fairness to McIlroy, he instead went straight to the range to prepare for a pivotal day on Friday, knowing that, unlike the US Open, his situation is still recoverable at Augusta National. However, he will need to defy history to claim his maiden Green Jacket from here. The last player to win The Masters after making more than one double-bogey in the tournament was Craig Stadler way back in 1982.
