Has it really been over 10 years since that unforgettable moment at Augusta National? The moment that would shape Rory McIlroy’s career and alter the course of Masters history forever. Back in 2011, a young, determined McIlroy, just 21 years old, was on the verge of his first major championship victory. So what happened? Well, after a strong opening round of 65 and a steady 69 on Friday, he surged into a commanding four-shot lead heading into Sunday. But in that final round, it all unraveled so quickly.
What started as a bad drive turned into a nightmare—a ricochet off a tree, a poor chip, and a heartbreaking triple-bogey. By the time McIlroy reached the 12th hole, six strokes had vanished in just three holes. The dream he had built over three days quickly crumbled as he watched his lead slip away. He ended up finishing a distant 10 shots behind, a devastating blow to his confidence and spirit. “I’ll get over it,” he said with a brave face. But behind those words, tears were falling. The next day, he was on the phone to his mum, heartbroken but already vowing to bounce back. Little did we know that this moment would fuel McIlroy’s fire for years to come.
He will be seen competing at The PLAYERS Championship in just a few hours. During his practice round at the TPC Sawgrass, as reported by NUCLR Golf, a fan yelled “just like 2011 at Augusta” after the 4x major winner hit his first ball in the drink during a practice round. So, what did the golfer do? After his second shot, the Irishman went over & took the fan’s phone. Yup, he just went to the fan, and said, “Can I see your phone”? He then took it and LITERALLY walked away with his looper.
#WATCH — A fan shouted “just like 2011 at Augusta” after Rory McIlroy hit his first ball in the drink during a practice round…after his second shot Rory went over & took the fan’s phone: “Can I see your phone” @TrackingRory
(Via: @gabinus_ganix) pic.twitter.com/E5OuTe3aYx
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) March 12, 2025
The golf world was left flabbergasted with this play. Taking to this, one of the fans commented, “Whats the play here? Keep the phone? Throw it? It looks like Rory doesn’t know what to do next.”
This is a developing story..
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