90 Years of The Masters
Augusta National, Home to The Masters. Credit: Jamie Squire, Getty Images
Rory McIlroy’s repeat victory at Augusta National would come to cap off the tournament’s 90th playing, the next great member of golf’s greatest club. The fourth player to win consecutive Masters tournaments, and first since Tiger Woods in 01-02, McIlroy shook demons of the past to claim his second Green Jacket. His victory put a cap on perhaps the most enthralling playing of the tournament in the last decade, seeing constant competition and an absolute bloodbath on moving day.
Sunday’s final group consisted of 2 polar opposites in the golfing world, youthful sensation Cameron Young matched up with the seasoned veteran in McIlroy, whose experience would prove too much to match. An exchanging of blows throughout the opening holes would give way to a gradual collapse from the Young New Yorker, as a strong performance across Amen Corner crowned McIlroy.
The tournament has asserted itself as the preeminent institution of golfing competition, a crown jewel of any player’s trophy case. What began as a challenge amongst affluent figures has come to define American culture itself, transcending the sport to become a rite of spring as recognizable as the blossoming azaleas that frame its fairways.
Triumph for McIlroy means he’ll likely close his career as the greatest golfer to ever hail from the United Kingdom, surpassing the stardom attained by individuals like Nick Faldo in the past. In winning his second Green Jacket, all are forced to accept that McIlroy’s spot atop the golfing world is no longer up for debate, with the former phenom from Northern Ireland coming into his own as the greatest to play the game since Tiger Woods himself.
