Rory McILroy wins Masters: What was it like to be in Augusta National to witness the history of the Grand Slam? | Golf news

What was it like to be in Augusta National to witness Rory McILroy to win Masters and finish the career of the Grand Slam? Sky Sports’ Ali Stafford is reflected on a day that will go down in sports history …

As an official of the first tee, the names of Corey Conners and Patrick Reed from the mini rankings are slipping, there is a breath of noise and shouting “Let’s go Rory!” As McIlroy’s name is set.

McIlroy stands alone at the start of the green and other than the occasional word with Caddy Harry Diamond, blocking everything around him. He is fully focused while Bryson Brazonuau smiles and collaborates with fans when he goes to the first tee.

Very few of them can get a clear look, but no one really cares, they just want to soak up a moment and be as close as possible to action. “I will watch it on TV tomorrow,” says one patron, holding two cups of Crow’s Nest beer, which only served with Masters.

It is difficult to find out where the opening tees disappeared, without loudly reaction from those who were further after the hole, indicating that both of them missed the nautical track. McIlroy is marching in order to go towards his ball, which is in the bunker and lets him go out.

Slom I through the crowds and got the green light for McILroy’s third shot, where the patrons around me try to judge the ball in the air. “Get there! No, Sit! Bite!” There are three shouts from the same person as McIlroy, ending 20 feet from the hole and the leaves work for its par.

McIlroy dresses a hole and leaves, his routine seems to take longer to see. Nerves? Almost certainly, although it stands directly in accordance with it, it is a seemingly complex putt to assess the pace.

It pulls it so far that it does not lose its turn, with a shout of “oh my God”, who also lacks the efforts that are returning. In one hole he left two-ran and roar “USA! US!” He heard like breathmbeau powered the passage to another tee.

The other green came across them, with one higher patron helped to those around them – including me – to find out where the two balls ended. “Bryson is about 70 feet away and Rory’s shot was supposed to be closer” is his verdict, with Brazambeau in two and McILroy after he had to lay.

McIlroy is woven for his attempt at the external birdie, which has a pace, but stops beside the hole. It’s just a par. Then I listen to the waiting for the result of the Birdie Brazambeau, with a cry of those who block in front of me enough to know that he has done it and in the lead.

In the beginning, I stunned through the playground towards the press building and wondered if McILroy’s main hopes were derailed in record time. Before I return to my seat, the two-shot swing on the third placed McILroy back forward.

The other two-shot swings on the fourth Sees McIlroy par-three increases its lead to three, with a stunning shot from trees to the seventh and back-to-back birdie from the ninth seemingly he is under control. At this point, the patron of the patron dominates because it was more divided among the final pairing during the day.

A colleague called his golf father to one of the Augustan free paid phones near the 13th, he told him to open the champagne and – with McIlroy four clear – celebrated the inevitable victory. This was followed by a wedge that followed, sent a shock wave and bubbles back on the ice around the pitch.

Those sitting at one of the closing holes could hear noise from anywhere, but they have to guess what it is, with a lack of phones that allow access to information and updates seriously limited. When the large ladder changes McILroy’s score from -13 to -11, the stunned traps are released and many patrons are left in their hands.

Another dropped shot at the next Sees McILroy lost the best place and – from seemingly nowhere and seven back – Justin Rose puts in direct guidance. Where does this plot come from?! “I feel sick,” says one patron, wearing green and with a strong accent from McILroy’s domestic nation.

I will return to the press building just in time to watch McILroy’s access to the 15th time. Oh my word! One journalist excites the table with excitement and the media grows noise – all seemingly watching different sources – because McIlroy brings one of his career shots and prepares the famous Eagle’s chance.

Two-Putt Birdie and another at 17th. Mcilroy will return in front of the 72. The hole before the impressive launch leaves him only the wedge on his second. UMPTEENTH MESSAGE INTRO seems safe – McILroy earns par or better, certainly?!

Hum in the air turns to silence from the patrons – at least 30 deep – because McILroy shocking sends his ball to the Greenside bunker just to reverse the level of confidence by spraying from the sand and watching his ball approach and closer to the hole.

“It’s again like Pinehurst,” says one journalist who refers to the US Open last June and walks as an upcoming father, because McIlroy has a putt from five feet for victory. “That could finish it if he didn’t,” there is a bleak verdict of another, just like McILroy is missing putt and drops into the playoffs.

With the latest news in the basket and all who have developed what has developed over the past few hours, everything we can do is watch with interest when McIlroy processes to let further victory in regulation slip by grip.

Rose – searching for his own fairy -tale end – a pile of pressure by keeping a good look for birdies on the first hole, only for McILroy to create one of the loudest health of the day with access for a lifetime.

When Rose was missing his birdie putt to extend the competition, he cleared the stage to make his teammate Ryder Cup to close history. Each individual patron lifts his arms at the top to celebrate when McIlroy converts the desired birdie tight series, where he immediately falls to his knees and tear into tears.

We’ve already seen emotions from McILroy, but nothing like that. These are different tears. The burden of competing for the Grand Slam career, waiting for August Glory ended and the demons of his last collapse – about 14 years ago – finally gone.

Tears continue to flow when he shares hugs with his wife Erika and daughter Poppy. The excitement of the patrons is tangible when McIlroy passes and tries to regain peace.

Team teammates Ryder Cup and their partners are among the first to congratulate him before reaching the green jacket, something we saw to wear in overlapping pictures, but not – until now – in real life.

It is a little surprise to see how McIlroy gained such a warm welcome from the media, when he enters the press building, after giving us the Hollywood end, we wondered if they would ever be covered. Tiger Woods aside, this man moves a needle unlike another golf!

Emotional McIlroy has discussed the resistance he has spoken so much in recent months, the last last day and the desire to return to Northern Ireland to see his parents when he opened his press conference with his own question.

“What will we all talk about next year?!” McIlroy said the reference to how his persecution of Grand slam dominated the accumulation in the previous decade. Don’t worry, Rory, let’s think!

It will take some time to really appreciate the meaning of Sunday. McIlroy’s victory threw golf on the front pages, created record numbers, and saw generation talent to strengthen his place – if he was no longer intended – as one of the golf of all the greats.

When McIlroy won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last April, Shane Lane Lowry celebrated his team success by released “not to stop Believin”. To quote Karaoke Classic 80. Years from Journey, those who have been there to witness history in Augusta have been holding this feeling for many years.

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