Why didn’t Rory McIlroy celebrate immediately after his Masters victory? He reveals the complex emotions behind the win

World Number two Rory McIlroy is a Northern Irish professional golfer who has competed for many years on the PGA Tour. He is considered to be one of the most significant golfers of his generation. After ten years of finishing just short of his ultimate goal, McIlroy finally won the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club last month. McIlroy, on completing golf's long-sought-after Career Grand Slam, confessed that winning the event provided him with far greater relief than excitement or pure celebration.

His win at Augusta National represented an end to an eleven-year wait to wear the green jacket and followed the 5th time a player has achieved the career grand slam since it began in 1921 (with Ben Hogan being the first in 1937). In a new interview with BBC Sport, Rory McIlroy explained that while the mental burden of securing the final round at one of the hardest courses in the world overshadowed the historical weight of winning at the Masters, the feeling of relief for him came from having survived what is likely the most mentally demanding round of golf in his professional career thus far rather than from the sheer magnitude of winning at the Masters.

"It was relief before joy," Rory McIlroy stated when asked how he felt after sinking his final putt. "It wasn't just the relief of winning the Masters that I felt. It was the relief of getting through that day."

In addition to completing the career grand slam, Rory McIlroy's win also makes him the sixth person to do so in the history of the game, joining Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, and Gene Sarazen. As significant as the career grand slam is, McIlroy explained that the initial reaction to the win felt more like escaping the pressure of the day than celebrating his win.

Rory McIlroy reflects on pressure, close calls, and emotional release

Rory McIlroy noted that the pressure of playing well in the final stages of the Masters was particularly high due to the attention that he received throughout the week. However, it was Justin Rose who created perhaps the greatest pressure for McIlroy by pushing him into a playoff and bringing back the memories of many close calls and defeats in majors that have been a defining factor of the previous decade.

Rory McIlroy discussed that the 20 hours preceding Sunday night were marked by a great deal of uncertainty and stress, including fluctuations in his level of confidence. He briefly had control of the event with a two-stroke advantage, and then all of that changed after a bogey at the 11th hole and a critical double bogey at the par-five 13th hole, which again shifted the momentum back to Johnson.

That momentum was reminiscent of earlier collapses in major events such as the 2011 Masters, where Rory McIlroy lost a four-stroke lead going into the last round, and many other close calls over the course of the next few years (including but not limited to St. Andrews, LACC, and Pinehurst).

In between his 2014 PGA Championship victory and the Masters this year, Rory McIlroy accumulated 21 top 10s in major events and failed to claim a victory. Every close call McIlroy experienced while attempting to win a major further weighed him down as he entered Augusta National this year.

"Once I got past the relief, there was pure joy," Rory McIlroy stated regarding winning the Masters. "The Green Jacket is a representation of both the struggles and the successes McIlroy has endured throughout his career."

Also Read: All about golf star Rory McIlroy’s daughter Poppy: A closer look at their family life

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