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Rory McIlroy names the player he wanted to win The Masters if he didnât
TL;DR
Rory McIlroy expressed his desire to present the Green Jacket to another player if he did not win The Masters this year. He enjoyed his role as the defending champion at Augusta National.
Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images
Rory McIlroy has revealed which player he was hoping to present the Green Jacket to if he failed to defend his Masters crown this past week at Augusta National.
McIlroy clearly relished his duties as the defending champion going into this yearâs Masters. The 36-year-old obviously wanted to make the most of the opportunity having waited so long to finally get his hands on the Green Jacket.
Some may have expected that to impact the Northern Irishmanâs hopes of winning again this week. History certainly was not on his side, with just three players previously winning The Masters in successive years.
Rory McIlroy says who he wanted to win The Masters if he failed to do so
But Rory McIlroy added his name to that exclusive club on Sunday. He finished one shot clear of Scottie Scheffler to secure his sixth major championship.
McIlroy had set the pace for much of the week at Augusta. However, he did not have things all go his own way, particularly on Sunday. A number of players threatened to snatch the crown from his grasp.
One of those who went into Sunday with a realistic chance of victory was Shane Lowry. And as it turns out, McIlroy was hoping that his good friend would be the one to get across the line if he faltered.
âYeah, same target. I thought, if I could get to 15-under at the start of the day, that would be a good goal. Again, late on a Sunday afternoon, the golf course gets tricky,â he said.
âI think as well I set myself these targets because it means that I donât need to look at the scoreboard too much then. Iâm really just trying to focus on myself. But yeah, after the poor start, the double on four and the bogey on six, I looked up and saw where I was. Obviously I had Cam there playing alongside me that I could see where he was, and he missed that short putt on six for par as well. So I was two behind going to the seventh tee.
Photo by Joel Marklund/Augusta National/Getty Images
âI sort of thought, okay, if I can just get back to even-par through nine, then at that point I thought, okay, if I could shoot 33 or 32 on the back nine, Iâll have a really good chance.
âI think the setting of targets is just, itâs a mechanism for me to not look at the scoreboard too much because I can find myself â I was out there today looking at Shaneâs score because I was interested to see, if I didnât win today, I wish I would have been putting the Green Jacket on him.
âSo like Iâm looking for other people as well to see how theyâre doing, but most of the time I know that doesnât serve me. So these targets are more to just keep me from looking at it too much.â
How Shane Lowry performed on Sunday at Augusta National
Unfortunately, Sunday proved to be a massive disappointment for Lowry.
He may have felt that he had a point to prove after falling away towards the end of the third round last year. He also endured a heartbreaking finish at the Cognizant Classic earlier this season.
Sadly, Lowry posted an eight over par round of 80 to finish tied for 30th, 11 shots back of McIlroy.
The good news for McIlroy and Lowry is that they will get another opportunity next year, with McIlroy once again set to present the Green Jacket.
Q&A
Who did Rory McIlroy want to win The Masters if he didn't?
Rory McIlroy named a specific player he hoped would win the Green Jacket if he failed to defend his title, although the article does not specify who that player is.
What is the significance of the Green Jacket in golf?
The Green Jacket is awarded to the winner of The Masters, one of golf's four major championships, symbolizing membership in the Augusta National Golf Club.
How many players have won The Masters in consecutive years?
Only three players have previously won The Masters in successive years, highlighting the difficulty of defending the title.
What was Rory McIlroy's experience as the defending champion at The Masters?
Rory McIlroy relished his duties as defending champion at The Masters, eager to make the most of the opportunity after a long wait to win the Green Jacket.
