Rory McIlroy’s stirring Masters win last year seemed to have it all: tears on the 18th green; a triumphant hug with his caddie and childhood friend, Harry Diamond; a heartfelt squeeze with his four-year-old daughter, Poppy.
But there was a notable absence: McIlroy’s parents, Gerry and Rosie, who were watching their son’s long-awaited Grand Slam moment nearly 4,000 miles away, from their home in Northern Ireland.
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So, when Rory and Gerry visited Augusta National last week on what was Gerry’s first trip to the club since his son’s historic win, vibes were always going to be high. A couple of the highlights came in the hallowed Champions Locker Room, where now on display is the 7-iron with which Rory hit one of the most indelible shots in Masters history: a high, curving draw around a pine tree on the par-5 15th hole; from 208 yards out, the ball touched down softly on the green and curled within 6 feet of the hole, drawing roars that all but rattled the clubhouse. (No need to mention that he yanked the eagle try.)
In that woody sanctuary last week, McIlroy also learned the identities of his locker mates: Ben Hogan, who won green jackets in 1951 and ’53, and Raymond Floyd (1976). Decent company.
There was more fun to be had out on the course, where father and son enjoyed a round together. (Rory said last month that he and Gerry were intending to play with Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley.) When they arrived at the spot on 15 from where Rory had worked his wizardry on Masters Sunday, Rory dropped a ball and had a go at replicating the shot.
Surely, he couldn’t paint another Mona Lisa?
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Surely, he could!
“I nearly pitched it in the hole,” Rory said Friday from Bay Hill, where after a second-round 68 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational he sits nine back of leader Daniel Berger. “It was actually a better shot than I hit in the tournament. It was actually unbelievable. I wish I could have got it on camera.”
More club?
Nope, 7-iron again, McIlroy said, adding, “I’m a little stronger this year. I’ve put in a bit of work in the gym.”
McIlroy said his ball landed just a few inches from the hole before rolling out to the back edge of the green.
Not to get too sentimental here, but in what other sport could a father and son revisit the site of the son’s greatest triumph and attempt to recreate the most memorable moment from that victory? Sure, Tom Brady could toss a TD pass to his father, Tom Sr., at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, or Will Smith of the Dodgers could take BP off his father, Mark, at the Rogers Center in Toronto, with the hopes of recreating his 2025 World Series-winning home run.
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But . . . rekindling Masters Sunday magic at Augusta National? That’s is in a different league.
Rory boiled the experience down to four words:
“A lot of fun.”
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