The haunting Masters meltdown that changed Rory McIlroy’s career | CNN

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**The 2011 Masters Nightmare**

Rory McIlroy's performance at the 2011 Masters is still etched in his memory. He was leading the tournament with nine holes to go, but he unraveled and ultimately finished third.

"I was leading this golf tournament with nine holes to go, and I just unraveled... It's a Sunday at a major, what it can do," McIlroy said in an interview.

McIlroy has since spoken about how that experience taught him valuable lessons. "I didn't handle it particularly well today obviously, but it was a character-building day... I'll come out stronger for it."

**The Missing Piece: A Green Jacket**

Despite seven top-10 finishes at the Masters in his past 10 outings, McIlroy still lacks a green jacket to complete his collection. He is one of only five golfers in modern era history to have completed the career Grand Slam without winning The Masters.

"Unthinkable" that he would not win The Masters in his career, McIlroy has said. But at 33 years old, time is still on his side.

**A Glimmer of Hope**

McIlroy's best finish at Augusta last year was a runner-up to Scottie Scheffler, but arguably his performance in 2011 remains the closest he has ever been to victory. He shot a 64 in the final round, but it wasn't enough to catch up.

Time is still on McIlroy's side, and he showed glimpses of his old form last year at Augusta. But will he finally break through and win The Masters?

**The Legacy of '11**

McIlroy's performance at the 2011 Masters has become a defining moment in his career. It marked the beginning of a golden era for McIlroy, during which he won three majors by the age of 25.

In an interview with the BBC, McIlroy dubbed that performance "the most important day" of his career. And it's hard to argue with that assessment.

**The Search Continues**

At 33 years old, McIlroy is still on a mission to win The Masters and complete his collection. He may not have won in '11, but he's getting closer. Only time will tell if this year will be the one.
 
I feel bad for Rory McIlroy 😔. He was so close to winning that tournament back in 2011. Seven top-10 finishes at Augusta isn't bad, but you'd think he'd have a green jacket by now 🙄. It's like he's stuck in neutral, waiting for the right gear shift 💨. Still got time, though - he showed some decent form last year... but can he finally break through and get that W? ⏰
 
I'm so over these newfangled golf games that let you replay historic rounds 🤯. I mean, Rory McIlroy's 2011 Masters performance was epic, don't get me wrong, but do we really need to relive it like five times? 😒 It just seems like a hassle to watch the same highlight reel over and over... Can't they just leave it alone and move on to something new? 🤷‍♂️
 
I'm kinda surprised Rory's still going for that elusive Masters win at 33 🤔🏌️‍♂️... Seven top-10s at Augusta isn't bad, but a green jacket is like the ultimate goal right? It'd be awesome to see him finally crack it 🎉💪. Still, gotta respect how he's handled those past Masters nightmares - it's not easy bouncing back from a performance like that 💕. Maybe 2025 will be his year? 🤞
 
🤔 I mean, what can you say about Rory McIlroy's 2011 Masters performance? It was like he had it all in the bag and then just fell apart 🤦‍♂️. But you know what they say, experience is the best teacher, right? He's been using that meltdown as fuel to get even better, and I think we'll see some amazing things from him in the future 🔥. And let's be real, seven top-10 finishes at the Masters isn't too shabby either 🙏. I'm still rooting for him to win that green jacket one of these days 🎉. Maybe this year will be his breakthrough? Only time (and golf balls) will tell 😅
 
Ugh man... I'm so torn about Rory McIlroy 😩. On one hand, I love how he's always been this talented golfer and it's crazy that he still doesn't have a green jacket 🏆. Like, 7 top-10 finishes at the Masters in his last 10 tries? That's insane! But on the other hand, I kinda feel bad for him because he's still coming up short. And what really gets me is how he described that '11 Masters experience as "the most important day" of his career 🤯... it's like he was so close to achieving greatness but just fell short.

But you know what? I think that's the thing about McIlroy - he's always been a bit of an underdog. Like, people saw him come in and dominate golf at such a young age, and then just expected him to keep doing it forever 🤷‍♂️. But he's still working hard, still trying to prove himself, and I think that's really admirable.

So yeah... I guess what I'm saying is, Rory McIlroy is like the ultimate golfer who's always stuck in limbo 😅. Will he ever break through and win The Masters? Only time will tell! ⏰
 
he's still trying lol... i mean, it's crazy how much pressure can get to u, even with all that experience under ur belt 64 in the final round is insane but u just couldn't catch a break that day 🤕
 
I feel bad for Rory McIlroy 🤕... it's like he was so close yet so far from winning that green jacket 💚. Seven top-10 finishes at the Masters in his last 10 outings and still no luck? That's gotta be frustrating 😩. But you know what, at 33, he's still got plenty of time to make it happen 🕰️. And hey, being a runner-up last year was still an awesome performance - I mean, who doesn't want to come close to winning at Augusta? 🏆. Maybe this is the year he'll finally break through and win The Masters for real 💪... fingers crossed! 😊
 
I don’t usually comment but I feel bad for Rory McIlroy, you know? He was so close in 2011, but had a meltdown and ended up finishing third. It’s crazy to think about how he could’ve won The Masters that year 🤯.

He’s still one of the best golfers out there, and it’s awesome that he can look back on that experience and say it taught him valuable lessons. I don’t think anyone can blame him for getting emotional when you’re in the zone like that 😅.

It is kinda crazy that he’s never won The Masters, though. He’s had so many great finishes at Augusta National over the years, but that one green jacket has eluded him. I guess all good things come to those who wait 🤞.

I do think Rory still has a shot at winning The Masters this year, though. His form last year was pretty solid, and he seemed to be getting back into his groove 💪. Let’s hope he can finally close out that win! 👏
 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around Rory McIlroy's 2011 Masters performance 🤯. He was basically cruising along, leading by a decent margin with nine holes to go, and then just... tanked 💥. It's like he lost his cool or something 😅. The thing is, that experience has apparently taught him some valuable lessons about mental toughness and staying focused under pressure.

It's crazy to think that McIlroy, who's won a bunch of majors and has all the talent in the world, still hasn't won The Masters 🤔. I mean, seven top-10 finishes at Augusta? That's impressive! But yeah, it's like he's just missing that one green jacket piece of the puzzle 🎨.

I love how McIlroy seems to be taking this one step at a time and not getting too down on himself about it 😊. He's still got all the time in the world to win The Masters, and his performance last year was actually pretty good (that runner-up finish to Scottie Scheffler wasn't bad 🤦‍♂️).

I think McIlroy's 2011 Masters performance has become a kind of benchmark for him – it's like he can never live down being so close to winning, but not quite getting it 🙃. But hey, maybe this is the year! ⏰
 
I mean, can't believe how old Rory McIlroy is now 🤯. 33? Still waiting for that green jacket. I'm starting to think it might never happen 😅. I remember when he was dominating golf tournaments and we all thought he'd win The Masters by a landslide. Now, he's still chasing his dreams but the pressure must be mounting.

I also don't get why they have to make him talk about that one bad day so much 🤔. It's like they want us to forget what happened in 2011 and focus on this year's Masters instead 🕰️. I mean, we all know he's got some great golfing skills under his belt, but The Masters has been kind of cruel to him.

It's almost like the forum is always bringing up Rory McIlroy as an example of a golfer who never quite lived up to expectations 🤷‍♂️. Like, what about all the other talented golfers out there? Can't they get some love for once? 🙄
 
I'm so over how outdated these golf forums are 🙄. Like, where's the live chat? I need to discuss Rory McIlroy's Masters performance with someone who's not 10 minutes behind 😂. And don't even get me started on the layout of this website – it's like they ripped off a template from 2010 🤦‍♂️.

And, come on, a whole section dedicated to a specific year? That's just lazy 💸. I mean, I'm happy to read about McIlroy's career milestones and all, but can't we get some newer news or threads? It feels like this website is stuck in golf limbo 🏌️‍♂️.

I guess what I'm saying is, if you're gonna keep the old content up, at least give it a refresh or something 😒. A little modernity wouldn't hurt, right? 👀
 
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