AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy stood over his ball in the 18th fairway at Augusta National, reeling.
Over the course of the previous 90 minutes, he’d bungled away a 5-shot lead in the final round of the Masters, well on his way to the biggest choke job of his career — and maybe any in the 89-year history of the tournament.
Then he launched a 126-yard gap wedge high into the Augusta sky that settled four feet from the cup in a sudden-death playoff with Justin Rose — winner gets the green jacket.
For the rest of his career, he will not hit a more important shot, for this one righted his sinking ship that rose out of Rae’s Creek, straight into Butler Cabin where — after sinking the four-footer to defeat Rose — he would finally slip on the elusive green jacket and complete the career grand slam.