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

Here is the rewritten text in a more readable format:

**The Master's Nightmare**

Rory McIlroy's collapse at the 2011 Masters will forever be remembered as one of golf's greatest meltdowns. Leading by nine holes with only five to play, McIlroy unraveled, shooting a disastrous final-round 80 to finish a disappointing third place.

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

**The Learning Curve**

McIlroy credited his collapse for teaching him a valuable lesson about maintaining focus under pressure. "If I had not had the whole unraveling, if I had just made a couple of bogeys coming down the stretch and lost by one, I would not have learned as much," he said.

**A New Era**

Despite his disappointment at the time, McIlroy's collapse at the 2011 Masters kickstarted an incredible era for him. He went on to win three majors in a row – the US Open, PGA Championship, and Open Championship – becoming only the third golfer since 1934 to achieve this feat.

**The Elusive Green Jacket**

Despite his numerous top-10 finishes at the Masters, McIlroy remains one of golf's biggest outsiders when it comes to winning the green jacket. His closest finish was a runner-up spot in 2022, where he trailed Scottie Scheffler by five shots on Sunday.

At 33 years old, time is still on his side. Though 2022 extended his major drought to eight years, it featured arguably his best golf since that golden season in 2014.

**Will He Ever Win the Masters?**

McIlroy has said that winning the Masters is "unthinkable" if he doesn't do so before he retires. While time is still on his side, McIlroy knows that things can change quickly at Augusta National. Will he ever join the ranks of golf immortals to have completed golf's career grand slam? Only time will tell.

**Rory's Rise to Glory**

McIlroy's 2011 collapse may have been a low point, but it marked the beginning of an incredible rise to glory for the Northern Irish golfer. He went on to become one of the most dominant players in the world, winning numerous tournaments and majors around the globe.

The missing piece from McIlroy's collection is still out there, waiting to be claimed. Will this be the year he finally adds a green jacket to his mantle?
 
🤔 you know what's wild about Rory McIlroy's story? it's like he's proof that even when we're in our darkest moments, they can actually be the catalyst for growth 🌱 i mean, who else can say they've gone from a major collapse to becoming one of the greatest golfers of all time? 🔥 it's like he's showing us that sometimes, it takes a little bit of failure to find our true potential 💪 but what's even more fascinating is that he still has that elusive green jacket on his wishlist 🏆 will he ever get it? only time will tell...
 
man i feel bad for rory 🤕 9 holes ahead at masters and then just blows it 😩 i mean who can relate to that kinda pressure tho? 🤯 i think thats what makes him such a great player, he can perform under huge stress. and btw, his stats after that collapse are insane! 📈 went on to win 3 majors in a row... mind blown 🤯
 
🤔 so Rory's 2011 collapse at the Masters was like a wake-up call for him and it totally changed his game... i mean he went on to win 3 majors in a row which is crazy talk 💥 but now he's 33 and still hasn't won the green jacket 🙄 what's going through that head of his, does he think he'll ever get it? 🤷‍♂️
 
I think Rory's 2011 Masters collapse was actually a blessing in disguise for him... 🤔 He had some amazing years after that, like when he won three majors in a row! It shows that even when things don't go as planned, you can still learn and grow from the experience. I'm curious to see if he'll finally get his green jacket this year... ⛳️ He's still got it in him! 33 is pretty young for golfers, so fingers crossed for Rory!
 
I mean can you believe Rory McIlroy was literally on the verge of winning the Masters like 3 times and then just chokes at the worst moments 🤯🏌️‍♂️! I've seen some epic meltdowns in my time, but this one takes the cake. And now he's all but guaranteed a place in golf history, but that elusive green jacket is still missing from his collection... when will it happen?!
 
omg what's up with rory mcilroy tho 😂 he's literally had like 8 years of drought at masters and ppl are still hyping him 🤦‍♂️ i mean don't get me wrong the guy's a great golfer but all these "will he ever win?" articles are getting old 🙄 what about scottie scheffler or brooks koepka? shouldn't they be getting more love instead? 😏
 
You know what this story teaches us about focus under pressure? Like when life throws curveballs at you and you can easily get distracted 😬. Remember how Rory McIlroy was leading with only 5 holes left, but still managed to "unravel" 🤯? It's like his mind went blank and he couldn't concentrate. But instead of giving up, he used that as a chance to learn from it.

Life is all about learning from our mistakes 📚. We can get so caught up in what's going wrong that we forget what's still working 💪. So when things aren't going as planned, take a step back and assess the situation. Ask yourself if there's something you could've done differently, or if it was just outside circumstances beyond your control 🤔.

And remember, even though Rory's collapse at the 2011 Masters might seem like a low point, it actually led to his incredible rise to glory 💫. So don't give up on yourself, even when things aren't going well. Keep pushing forward and believing in yourself, because that's where true growth happens 🌱.
 
Man I'm still thinking about that Masters collapse by Rory McIlroy back in 2011 🤯... He was so close to winning and then just imploded 😩... It's crazy to think about how far he's come since then. Winning three majors in a row was insane! 💥 And now at 33, it's like he's still got that fire in his belly. I mean, he's still not won the Masters, but who knows, maybe this is his year? 🤞... We've all been waiting for him to get that green jacket for ages 😅... Will he ever join those golf legends like Jack and Arnold? Only time will tell, but I'm gonna be rooting for him till the end 💪
 
you know what's wild, like I was at the mcdonalds down the street yesterday 🍔 and I saw this guy in a full golf outfit just chillin' by himself, must've been trying out for a new sports brand or something lol. anyway, back to rory mcilroy, i mean who doesn't love an underdog story, especially when they're talking about one of the best golfers ever, right? but seriously, have you guys seen those old masters footage from like 20 years ago, it's crazy how different the course looks now 🏰🌳
 
🙄 I mean, who can forget that iconic collapse by Rory McIlroy at the 2011 Masters? It was like he went from hero to zero in just a few hours... pretty relatable if you ask me 😂. On a more serious note, it's crazy how that one meltdown actually ended up being a blessing in disguise for him. He went on to have an incredible run of success and even won three majors in a row! 💥
 
I still can't get over Rory McIlroy's 2011 Masters collapse 😂 that was wild! He was leading by nine holes and then just totally fell apart. I think it was a great lesson for him though - learning how to stay focused under pressure like that is super valuable.

I mean, he went on to do some amazing things after that - winning three majors in a row is no joke 🤯. But yeah, the Masters has been eluding him for years now and I'm starting to think it might be his final chance at getting that green jacket 💚. Time will tell if he can finally get over the hump!
 
🏌️‍♂️ so i think rory mcilroy's collapse at the 2011 masters was like a 💥 turning point for him 🔄 he had to learn from that failure and it paid off in the end 🙌 he went on to win three majors in a row which is like 🔥 insane ⚡

i feel bad for him because he's still chasing that one big prize - the green jacket 🎩🏆 and at 33, he knows time is running out ⏰ but i think he can still do it 💪 maybe not this year 🤞 but next year or the year after 📆

the thing is, mcilroy's game has been on point for years 🌟 and he's always been one of the top players in the world 🌎 so i'm like "when will he win?! 🤔"
 
idk about rory mcilroy's chances at the masters 🤔. 33 isnt old for golf but all that experience just seems to weigh on him atm 😐. hes had some great seasons in between his major wins tho, so i dont think its all doom and gloom 💪. i mean what if he just needs one more push from himself? like a renewed focus or something? 🤔 the thing is with mcllroy, every round can be 2 totally different things. sometimes hes unstoppable, other times it seems like the course has him right where it wants him 😳
 
I think its pretty obvious that Rorys downfall at 2011 masters was basically a blessing in disguise for him lol 😂. Like if he had won and became overconfident, it could've easily led to him losing form and never being the same player again. But instead, he learns from his mistakes and becomes one of the greatest. The pressure's definitely been building up on him at masters in recent years tho 🤔... maybe this year he'll finally put it all together?
 
man i feel so bad for rory mcilroy 🤕 he was literally leading by 9 holes and just lost it all... i think that collapse at 2011 masters taught him a huge lesson about mental toughness, but still can't help but wonder when is he gonna get that green jacket? 🏆 his major droughts are super long but you can tell he's still got it in him, been seeing some amazing golf from him lately and i think it's only a matter of time before he breaks through at augusta national... fingers crossed for rory! 😅
 
Dude, I'm so over Rory McIlroy being considered one of golf's biggest outsiders for winning the Masters 🙄. He's had like 10 top-10 finishes and a bunch of runner-ups... that's not exactly unknown territory, ya know? And let's be real, he's had some pretty epic meltdowns in his career too 😂, like that one time at the 2011 Masters where he just imploded. Come on, Rory can totally bring home that green jacket if he wants to 💚. Maybe this year will be different... or maybe it won't 🤷‍♂️, who knows?
 
I think its gonna be tough for rory to win the masters soon 🤔. hes 33 now and golf has changed so much since 2014, like what's with all these young phenoms taking over 👀. schiefel and risacher are killing it right now, and i dont think even rory can keep up with that level of consistency 😅. maybe he just needs to take a step back and recharge before making another run at augusta 🏌️‍♂️
 
I'm kinda thinking Rory McIlroy needs to win that Masters one more time... like, for real 🤯. He's been so close before and it's frustrating to see him fall just short of that elusive green jacket 💚. I mean, he's still an amazing golfer at 33 and all, but you can't help feeling like it's his destiny to finally get that one last win ⏰. Maybe this will be the year he breaks through? Fingers crossed 🤞
 
i think rory mcilroy's collapse at the 2011 masters was actually pretty lucky for him lol 🤣 it made him realize that even with a 9 shot lead, you can still lose if you don't keep your cool under pressure. but seriously though, i think he's due for another major win and this year could be the one where he finally gets that green jacket 😅
 
Back
Top