AUGUSTA, Ga. -- AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Rory McIlroy's long, painful wait for the career Grand Slam is finally over.
And the greatest achievement of his career was as nerve-wracking and dramatic as all of the near-misses that came before it.
The 35-year-old from Northern Ireland overcame a shaky start -- and even more perilous finish -- in the final round of the 89th Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday to defeat Justin Rose in the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to finally win a green jacket and become only the sixth golfer to complete the career Grand Slam.