President Donald Trump was among those who thought Rory McIlroy’s Masters win on Sunday showed exactly what the legendary golfer was made of as he battled through highs and lows throughout the round.
Speaking with reporters on Air Force One, Trump gave his congratulations to McIlroy, who became the sixth golfer ever to capture the coveted Grand Slam, winning every single professional golf major.
“I have to congratulate Rory,” Trump said when a reporter asked if he watched The Masters. “That took tremendous courage. He was having a hard time, but it showed great guts and stamina and courage.
“People have no idea how tough that is. He came back. It’s better for him that it happened that way because that showed real courage to have come back from what could’ve been a tragedy – it was amazing.”
Trump called The Masters “maybe my favorite sporting show,” and that he loves watching it every year when possible.
He also gave a shout-out to Justin Rose, the Englishman who McIlroy had to face in a sudden-death playoff after he missed his par putt on his 72nd hole of the tournament to collect the win.
Rose buried a deep birdie putt on Hole 18 to move to 11-under and put pressure on McIlroy, who bogeyed that same hole in regulation.
“Justin Rose was great,” Trump, an avid golfer himself, added. “Look, they’re great athletes under tremendous pressure. But unless you’re a golfer, you don’t understand that hundredth of an inch makes a difference between a great shot and a horrible shot.”
McIlroy and Rose went back to the 18th tee box for the sudden-death playoff, which would’ve had a second hole on No. 10 if needed.
But McIlroy’s approach shot, which trickled down a slope to two feet, put pressure on Rose to bury his birdie opportunity. After a long read around the green, Rose put his best stroke on it, but it went too far left. He finished with a par and hoped that Hole 10 was where he would head next.
McIlroy didn’t let it get to that, as he sunk the putt on 18 this time and dropped to his knees.
At that point, the weight of 11 years without a major win and finally collecting the career Grand Slam left him as he welled up in tears.
Patrons around the green roared as McIlroy let out several bursts of celebration before joining his family and team for heartwarming moments.
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