Rory McIlroy won the Masters last year, but nothing prepared him for what followed at Augusta. On the eve of the tournament this year, NBC took fans back to his moment in the Augusta National locker room.

 "I was wondering who they were going to put me with," McIlroy said. "Were they going to put me with another European? I didn't really know. But having Hogan's locker? That's pretty cool, another guy who did the Slam. And then Raymond, who I’ve known for a long time and has been a good friend to me in golf over the years... Incredible. It never gets old.

The Masters champions’ locker room is very private. It is on the second floor of the clubhouse, behind a door marked “Masters Club Room. Private.” There are only 27 lockers, and no new ones have been added since 1978. Current champions share lockers with past winners.

And as a result, it was Hogan and Floyd with whom he was going to share his locker. Hogan is one of five players ever to complete the career Grand Slam.

McIlroy finished his own last April at Augusta, ending a decade-long wait for that final major. Sharing a nameplate with Hogan is not a coincidence Augusta National would make lightly. At the same time, Floyd, meanwhile, is someone McIlroy knows personally.

This surprise is a tradition for every Masters winner. Adam Scott ended up beside Gary Player. Scottie Scheffler landed with Byron Nelson and Charles Coody. Tiger Woods shares with Jack Burke Jr. Every nameplate in that room carries a conversation. McIlroy's, sitting between Hogan and Floyd, might carry the best one yet.

But for McIlroy, there was one special bit that added on to the experience.

Augusta Locker Room Hits Differently for Every Champion

Twenty-six of the 27 lockers sat empty that December visit; green jackets are stored in a separate room. McIlroy's, though, had something inside and a handwritten note.

"There was a note in there from Jack. He’d been there one or two weeks previous and it just said, ‘Welcome to the club.’"

That was indeed special. As fans may remember, McIlroy had talked to Nicklaus ahead of the Masters, and later hadn't met him at The Memorial. Regardless, any advice Nicklaus had was worth it, since following the conversation with the six-time Masters winner, McIlroy was finally able to finish the career slam.

What do you think about McIlroy's locker assignment? Let us know in the comments!

Read more at Club Golf!

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar