Rory McIlroy didn’t have much to say to Masters playing partner Bryson DeChambeau on Sunday, but the two-time U.S. Open champ would not hold back when congratulating this year’s green jacket winner on a career Grand Slam.
Hours after his fifth-place finish at Augusta National, where he tied with Sungjae Im at 7-under for the weekend, DeChambeau celebrated McIlroy’s first-ever Masters win in a heartfelt post shared Monday on X.
“Huge congratulations to Rory on an incredible achievement in completing the career Grand Slam of golf,” DeChambeau wrote. “He deserved to get this one.”
McIlroy, who famously fell to DeChambeau at the U.S. Open last June, nearly collapsed again at Augusta, where he defeated Justin Rose in a one-hole playoff Sunday to collect the fifth major of his career — and his first since the 2014 PGA Championship.
“There were points in my career where I didn’t know if I would have this nice garment over my shoulders,’’ McIlroy, 35, said. “I certainly didn’t make it easy. I was nervous. It was one of the toughest days I’ve ever had on the golf course.”
McIlroy’s laser focus approach on Sunday didn’t go unnoticed by DeChambeau, 31, whose remarks about the Northern Irishman not speaking to him during the final round caused a stir.
“He didn’t talk to me once all day,” the two-time major winner said.
Though McIlroy was “just being focused, I guess,” DeChambeau also noted in his post-Masters comments, “When you’re trying to win a major championship, especially out here, Sunday of Augusta, the Masters, you have to just do it and get the job done and do it right.”
In his ninth Masters start, DeChambeau opened the tournament with a 3-under 69. He shot a 4-under 68 the following day and birdied five times.
Upon closing out the third round with a 3-under 69, DeChambeau trailed McIlroy by just two strokes at 10-under overall.
Much like his on-course rival, it was a shaky final round for DeChambeau, who hit back-to-back bogeys on holes No. 3 and No. 4 after he charged to the top of the leaderboard with a birdie on No. 2.
Although he found something of a rhythm afterward with six straight pars, he double bogeyed on hole No. 11 that set the stage for a 3-over 75 finish.
Despite the obvious disappointment, DeChambeau said Monday he is using his Masters heartbreak as motivation.
“It was a battle all week, and even without my best stuff, I proved to myself that I have the ability to win this tournament one day. It’s tough, but moments like this have taught me a lot and now I’m more motivated than ever to get back to work. Thank you all for the unwavering support this week! We will be back,” he wrote on X.
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