Augusta, Georgia – The end of the day sun was almost below the horizon, settling behind the pines that line the fifth Fairway of Augusta National. Many remaining customers who had just seen the story – and there were thousands of errors again, smiling in the golden light – gathered to watch Rory McILroy Don of a green jacket, finally.
Songs of “Ro-ry!” Ro-ry! ” Sanded around the Green where McILroy, flanked by his family, his shopping champion, the 2024 Scottie Scheffler and a range of green jackets stood. Some customers agitated their caps, the Ryder Cup Euro-Style; A hoarse guy tried to get a “graaaand … slam!” song, but he was alone.
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At the center of a circle of customers, at the center of the golf universe, there was McILroy in his brand new regular green jacket. There was not yet good, like a star player in the uniform of their blood rival, but he will get there.
During a short speech – less than four minutes – McILroy paid a tribute in tears and joyful to the club, to customers, to his family, even to the policy of non -technical of Augusta National … Then he wrapped his speech with a suspicion of what will happen.
“I can't wait to be here next year in Scottie's position,” said McILroy, hope that the green jacket on myself. “”
The customers have applauded, the green jackets have risen, the camera flashes and McILroy left the circle to start his new life as the master champion.
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Now what?
Finally, Rory McILroy has his own green jacket. (AP photo / Ashley Landis)
(Associated Press)
McILroy now has five majors, as much as any player of his generation and tied in the 15th row of all time. Unlike, let's say, Tiger Woods, who also spent 11 years between the victory of his penultimate major and his last, McILroy is very within the framework of his career; He has already won only three times this year. It was competitive throughout the major drought, with an average better than two top 10 per year. He finished in the top 3 more (five) that he did not finish outside the top 10 (four) in the last three years of majors.
More importantly, he has a favorable major slate hell to come. First, there is the PGA championship at Quail Hollow, a place where McILroy won four times. McILroy went consecutive by winning his third and fourth major in 2014 – the open championship and the PGA – and the rehearsal path of his rehearsal is wide open.
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After the PGA survived US Open, which was held this year in Oakmont – a course which rewards distance by car and precision, a course whose smooth greens reflect Augusta National's. A course that plays the current forces of McILroy, in other words. And then the open championship will be turned off in Royal Portrush, where McILroy once fired 61 at the age of 16. It will be difficult to wipe the memory of 2019, where the pressure of a home game overwhelmed him.
A big home of the calendar year – that no one has ever accomplished in the professional golf course – is probably a little too ambitious hope for McILroy. But another adult is not too much to expect, not when he plays at this level, not when he just throws two tonnes of weight on his back.
For inspiration, McILroy could turn to another sport. It is impossible to remember now, but Tom Brady did a complete decade, from 2004 to 2014, between the victory of his third and fourth Super Bowls. Like McILroy, Brady was getting closer to angling – two lost super bowls, three lost conference championships – and like McILroy, Brady continued to hammer at the top of his game. (Yes, there are significant differences between an individual sport like golf and a team sport like football. We go for a high -level metaphor, not a comparison 1: 1.)
The fact is that once Brady started winning again, he won a plot. Four times in seven years, to be exact. McILroy also has this potential in front of him. With Scheffler, he will be a favorite in each adult in the predictable future. And when you combine its innate skills and its well -faced resilience with the new knowledge that success is always within its reach, we could be in a new era of Rory McILroy.
How many additional majors can McILroy win? Two? Three? Five? He is already one of the big on the game; He could well go up to stand among his legends.
