Telfer's Thoughts

It was a coronation long in the waiting but remarkably short in its consummation. Just a simple 3-foot (1-metre) putt from Rory McIlroy on the 72nd green at Augusta saw the Northern Irishman join one of golf’s most exclusive clubs, winners of all 4 Major titles or as it’s popularly called, the Grand Slam of Golf.

Just six players in the history of golf have won the Grand Slam - Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Player and now Rory McIlroy. Note, not even Arnold Palmer earned membership, which quite rightly entitles you to be called one of the greatest golfers of all time. Who really could object to McIlroy’s inclusion? That he’s had to endure 11 frustrating years to secure the 4th and final leg of the Slam is nothing short of incomprehensible, given the immense talent of the man.

Yet he will probably lie in bed and in the privacy of his own mind ask himself over and over, “How did I win this thing? I missed so many fairways on that last day, I missed short, ever-so-short putts. I double bogeyed the first hole and the par 5 13th but I still won”.

He won because of the maturity that he now has at 35 years of age and his ability to remain calm when his clubs and or his swing let him down. Then, in the spirit and character of those names mentioned above, he pulls off shots of breathtaking majesty, clawing back the lead when his tenure at the top looked likely to vanish.

Over the four days he played an astonishing array of shots that forever will hold pride of place in the

Masters Hall of Fame, none more so than his second from just over 200 yards on the par 5 15 th . He had to hook it violently around a bunch of protruding branches, clear the water in front of the green and let it roll up to within 3 or 4 feet of the flag, all of which he did. Yes, once again he missed a short 4- or 5-footer for eagle, but his birdie gave him the lead again by just 1 stroke.

Even though his putter let him down again on the 18th green, once more from an embarrassingly short distance, he remained outwardly stoic. Back to the 18th he and Justin Rose went, this time his second shot from 200 yards left us all gob-smacked as it gracefully landed behind the flagstick and quietly trickled down to within a few feet of the hole.

Justin Rose couldn’t birdie his long putt. Rory this time mercifully found the hole and at last he had acquired the most garish, but the most sought-after, jacket in golf.

The genteel ‘patrons’ of Augusta discarded their required peaceful behavior and went gangbusters, turning the surrounds of the 18th green into something resembling a Beatles concert. Yes, there were images of demure, well-dressed denizens in their 60s and 70’s who probably last gyrated like this at a Beatles concert back in the 1960’s. Their boy, their hero, at last getting his rich desserts. A boisterous, passionate all-American audience cheering madly as if he were one of their own.

Rory, collapsing to his knees in some sort of yoga pose, just burst into tears, threatening to flood the green with this outpouring of joy and relief.

As one of the green suits said in the Log Cabin a few minutes later, McIlroy has given us all one of the most enthralling and memorable days in the 90-year history of the Masters.

He was absolutely right.