Rory McIlroy: ‘The 2022 Masters was the first in a long time that I felt joy’

A reasonable case could be made that the breathtaking major moment of 2022 was not produced by a champion. Rory McIlroy’s club toss and leap for joy as his ball rolled, rolled and rolled into the hole from a greenside bunker on the 18th during last year’s Masters reverberated far beyond the grounds of Augusta National. McIlroy’s reaction was of an exuberant, care-free child as opposed to a globally famous sportsman.

Scottie Scheffler won the 86th Masters, but four-putted when doing so. Justin Thomas eased home in a playoff to claim the US PGA Championship. Matt Fitzpatrick’s fairway bunker shot at the 72nd hole of the US Open was sensational and Cameron Smith breezed through the Open field on a St Andrews Sunday.

Yet it is McIlroy’s Georgia moment that has appeared on highlights reels through the long winter months. It served as a reminder of why he remains such captivating viewing.

“It was the first year in a long time I came away from Augusta feeling really happy about the week,” he says. “Yes, I started too many shots behind on Sunday, but … when you get into scenarios like that, I didn’t know what Scottie was doing so there’s still that hope that something could happen.

“He played great and ended up winning, but walking up that hill and going to sign my card on a Sunday, the dominant emotion has been disappointment.

“That was the first year in a long time that I felt joy and happiness. I appreciated the moment and where I was rather than thinking about what I hadn’t done. It was almost like going through some sort of mental barrier. I wanted a 90-hole Masters rather than 72. I wanted another crack at it right away.

“I used that as a catalyst last year. My major performances were so much better than in the previous