The phone call to his parents still lingered in Rory McIlroy’s mind– “My mum might have said something like: ‘Oh don’t worry Rory, everything will be OK’, and I just blubbed back: ‘No, it won’t be OK’!” As a 21-year-old at his maiden 2011 Masters, he did everything to the tee. But despite a four-shot lead on the final day, his eventual mistakes led to a T-15 finish. Still, his 14-year-long story, with some moments of self-doubts of “I wondered if it would ever be my time?,” ended with a memorable Career Grand Slam. Was it a perfect run? Arguable. However, as Rory says, “If you would never take advice from these people, you would never take their criticisms, either.” But what if it is his friend Rickie Fowler, who did not qualify for the Masters himself?

Fowler almost inked a win at the 2025 Zozo Championship with a fourth finish. Then his T18 ending at Cognizant, missing Arnold Palmer, and a T71 at the PLAYERS Championship turned his Masters hopes to ashes. And when he had one last chance at the Valero Texas Open, he could only fare well to a T30. Looking at his 2-year-long dry spell, you’d assume that he understands what Rory’s victory would mean. And he does. As a friend, he is quite happy knowing McIlroy’s journey and pressure. Even said, “He definitely earned it.” Still, it didn’t stop him from pointing out one fault in the freshly minted Masters champion’s outing.

In an appearance on live SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio show with Drew Stoltz and Colt Knost at the RBC Heritage conversation, Rickie Fowler was asked about Rory McIlroy’s historic win. He told the hosts, “I didn’t get to watch start to finish. We were actually flying up here to Hilton Head, and so I saw you know roughly you know around the turn or after 10 he was in a what looked like a very comfortable spot. And I remember thinking ‘Man, if he just gets past 12’, like not saying you can cruise in from there, but 12 is one of the ones that you just wanna get past and you can make some birdies but it’s you can deal with a four-five shot lead from there.

“I remember you know getting on the ground and checking, kind of updating, I’m like ‘What happened? And I had go back and look at some video. I’m glad he got it done. Obviously, that’s a massive achievement. Something he’s had on his shoulders for a long time but to be a part of that group, you know, sixth person to ever completing a career grand slam. And he definitely made it very interesting.

“It looked like it was a be able to kinda walk and cruise it in after getting through 12 but he made it a little harder on himself. He definitely earned it. I saw Rosy this morning in the gym, and it was nice, someone kept him honest at least made him earn it out there. Rosie put together a nice Sunday, and yeah, it shouldn’t have come to that, but like you said, definitely made for some good TV.”

McIlroy had indeed taken the right approach at the 12th hole, a 155-yard par-3. By hitting the ball to the center of the green and securing par, McIlroy followed the strategy recommended by golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods – to play it safe and avoid taking unnecessary risks. This smart play allowed McIlroy to maintain a strong position, finishing with a total score of 13-under.

However, things got sticky after that 12th. Entering Sunday, Rory made a birdie, eagle, and a birdie on 13th. But this time, while trying to play safe, he found his third shot landing in the Rae’s Creek. He carded his fourth double-bogey of the tournament to end up at 11 under. At the same time, Justin Rose made a birdie on 16th to tie with the eventual winner. And things got only interesting from there onwards.

Rory added another bogey at the 14th, coming down to a 10 under to share the piece with Rose and Ludvig Aberg. However, he found the momentum from 15th onwards and made history. But his misses did give Rickie a thorn to point out because something like this had exactly happened in the 2011 Masters. No doubt the game only got interesting on Sunday with Rose and Rory getting on it. While Rose was his competition on the ground that day, the Northern Irishman had his mind to prevail over for the win.

Rory McIlroy’s latest win was a ‘battle’ with himself

14 whole years – that’s how long Rory McIlroy had been waiting for this moment. And what a moment it was. He dropped to his knees, let out a scream full of pent up emotions of 14 years since his first go at the Masters right then and there when he knew he had it.

The emotions overflowed as he sank a 3-foot putt to beat Justin Rose in a nail-biting sudden-death playoff. As he collected his green jacket, McIlroy fell to his knees, letting out a primal scream that echoed the years of frustration he’d been carrying. In a heartfelt interview, McIlroy broke down as he thanked his parents for their sacrifices, revealing they watched the win from their home in Northern Ireland.

“It was 14 years in the making,” McIlroy said, his voice shaking with emotion. “There was a lot of pent-up emotion that came out on that 18th green. But a moment like that makes all the years and all the close calls worth it.” McIlroy’s win marked a triumphant moment in his career, as he joined an elite group of golfers who have completed a career Grand Slam. The weight of his journey was palpable as he reflected on his win, saying, “My battle today was with myself. It was a struggle, but I got it over the line.”