It would have been easy for Rory McIlroy and his new green jacket to take a pass on playing the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with his friend Shane Lowry this week despite being defending champions.
The thought crossed Lowry’s mind during the final round of the Masters as he was struggling through a disappointing finish while keeping an eye on McIlroy’s turbulent path to completing the career Grand Slam.
“I said to my caddie on the 15th hole at Augusta, obviously I was done so I was watching the leaderboard, and I think [McIlroy] probably just made double on 13, and I said to Darren [Reynolds], I said, no matter what happens the next few holes, I think we’re going to do well to get into New Orleans,” Lowry said Wednesday.
“If things didn’t go his way, I don’t think he’d want to be here, and I thought if things did go his way, he’d want to be somewhere else. But I’m happy he’s here.”
So, apparently, is McIlroy despite the cold he picked up while traveling to London to see the under-construction house where he and his family will eventually live followed by a visit to Northern Ireland to celebrate his Masters victory with his parents and friends.
“I honestly could not be in a better place in my life professionally, personally, all of it,” said McIlroy, whose win at Augusta National was his third of the season, following triumphs at Pebble Beach and the Players Championship.
The impact of McIlroy’s Masters victory, filled with twists and turns over the final afternoon, continues to reverberate through the game and beyond. The television ratings peaked at more than 19 million viewers in the final few minutes, numbers more often associated with NFL playoff games, and the residual buzz has been renewed with his return to competition this week.
Since that Sunday afternoon when McIlroy hit his knees after holing the winning putt, bursting into tears at the magnitude of his accomplishment, the reaction has been gratifying.
“I think people watching someone finally get it done, something they’ve been trying to do for a decade plus, I think it resonated with a lot of people.” – Rory McIlroy
“I spoke to two presidents the day after, which was pretty cool. Just people reaching out from all walks of life, whether it be sports, entertainment, culture. Just all of it,” McIlroy said.
“People that you would never even think that would watch golf or would know what’s going on, that was very, very humbling, I guess.
“I think people can see themselves in the struggle at times, and everything that you sort of try to put into getting the best out of yourself in that journey. I think people watching someone finally get it done, something they’ve been trying to do for a decade plus, I think it resonated with a lot of people.”
Before Lowry gave McIlroy a spectacular bear hug after his victory, he had to process his own disappointment. Lowry spent about 15 minutes in the locker room after his closing 81 lamenting his own missed opportunity before turning his attention to what McIlroy was chasing.
“I know what he’s been through the last – certainly the last 10 years since the Grand Slam was on, the pressure that’s been put on him not so much by himself but by everyone outside has been pretty tough and he’s had to deal with a lot of disappointment, so it was pretty cool to see him do that,” Lowry said.
“I think what everyone saw on the 18th green that day was just pure relief. I was very happy for him. … At the end of the day, it’s history. Sixth person ever to do the Grand Slam is no joke.”
It was a year ago that McIlroy and Lowry showed up in New Orleans, both looking for a spark. Lowry made a putter change that week and holed the putt to get them into the playoff they won against Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer.
For McIlroy, the Zurich victory with Lowry triggered his best run of the season. He won the Wells Fargo Championship in his next start and didn’t finish outside the top 15 in seven consecutive starts, including his bitter runner-up finish at the U.S. Open.
“It’s amazing what a year can do,” McIlroy said. “This tournament last year was a really cool moment for both of us. I think it probably injected a little bit of joy back into golf for me in some way, which I think is really, really important, not to lose that.
“I had a great year last year, and I think this tournament was sort of the catalyst to the really good golf that I played for the rest of the year.”
“We are here to have a good time. I’m not saying a good time like we’re going to be down on Bourbon Street every night, but we’re here to enjoy it.” – Shane Lowry
McIlroy and his family returned to south Florida on Sunday, and he said he felt so bad Monday morning he almost didn’t get out of bed. He kept his commitment to Lowry and the Zurich Classic with the goal of getting back into the competitive mindset.
A year ago, he and Lowry found themselves in a hospitality tent after their victory singing karaoke.
“We are here to have a good time,” Lowry said. “I’m not saying a good time like we’re going to be down on Bourbon Street every night, but we’re here to enjoy it.
“Golf at times can be monotonous. Tour golf can be tough and a slog and week in and week out playing 72 holes on your own, so when you get a tournament like this, it just changes it up and it’s just much more fun to play and you have each other out there, and especially with our caddies get on very well. … But just being Rory’s partner this week, yeah, it is going to be pretty cool.”