Rory McIlroy won back-to-back Masters titles and joined the elite group of Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods. Later, McIlroy pointed out one of the most crucial shots in his quest for the Green Jacket.

Having a six-shot lead after 36 holes, McIlroy was heading for the victory smoothly.

However, he struggled at Amen Corner in the third round and gave away his lead. Interestingly, in the final round, the turning point was at the Amen Corner as well. Talking of his tee shot on 12th, McIlroy said, 

"I played a practice round with Tom Watson in 2009, and he said to me on the 12th tee that he always waited until he felt where the wind should be and then just hit it. You know, just hit it as soon as you can.”

Jack Nicklaus had named the 12th hole the hardest in tournament golf for a reason. Tom Watson once called it a very critical hole that had ended so many dreams.

However, McIlroy didn’t play it safe to the center of the green like Nicklaus had once advised. Instead, he went for the flag. 

"When I stood up on the tee, it felt like it was off the right, and I looked at the 11th flag, it was blowing right to left. But I was patient, and I waited to feel where the wind should have been coming from, and I knew it was just a perfect 3/4 9-iron. Yeah, absolutely huge, huge shot in the tournament,” McIlroy said.

The crowd was on its toes as McIlroy’s tee shot narrowly cleared Rae’s Creek. Landing on the right side of the front bunker, the shot was the “Crown Jewel” of McIlroy’s win. He picked up another birdie at the 13th hole, picking up good momentum in the final stage of The Masters.

“I aimed it at the middle of the bunker. Probably didn't anticipate it to drift as far right as it did. That's why you give yourself a little bit of margin for error," McIlroy said.

McIlroy’s shot led to one of just three birdies at the Golden Bell on Sunday. Delivering a 9-iron inside 7 feet, McIlroy went two clear of the field.

It hasn't always been easy for McIlroy at majors. Let's have a look at his past struggles.

Rory McIlroy's Past Struggles At Majors

Only the Green Jacket was stopping Rory McIlroy from achieving his Career Grand Slam for a long time. However, before 2025, he did come close to winning it.

Back in 2011, 21-year-old McIlroy held a four-stroke lead entering the final round at Augusta. After that, he went on to shoot an 8-over-par 80 in the final round, dropping from 1st to a tie for 15th.

At the 2024 U.S. Open, McIlroy held a two-stroke lead with five holes remaining. He then proceeded to hit three bogeys in the final four holes, leading to the loss to Bryson DeChambeau by one stroke.

After all these years of struggle, McIlroy's patience seems to be paying off. Creating history at this year's Masters, the past struggles wouldn't mean much to him now.

What do you make of McIlroy's comeback at The Masters? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Kalp Thaker