'Wildest day' in history of golf - and it was privilege to shed tears while watching it

According to Brandel Chamblee, the Golf Channel analyst, it was the “wildest day” in the history of major golf and, you know what, he is probably correct.

From start to finish, the last round of the 89th Masters was just bonkers and, though definitely not good for the nerves, what an absolutely brilliant advert for the game of golf.

Three times in the opening four holes, we had dramatic two-shot swings in the mouth-watering final group of Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau. In the end, it didn’t turn into a Duel in the Sun-type tussle between those golfing gladiators on the back nine as failing to be firing on all cylinders during the week - he was fighting his iron game in particular - finally took its toll on DeChambeau.

Rory McIlroy thrilled fans with his performance at The Masters. | Getty Images

He’ll bounce back and that’s great because, like him or not, there can be no denying that the LIV Golf player attracts eyeballs to the sport and that can never be under-estimated. Instead, it was Justin Rose, a two-time runner up at Augusta National, who emerged as the dangerman to McIlroy in his quest to achieve golfing immortality.

On another day, it would have been absolutely brilliant to see the Englishman come out on top here and what a superb closing effort, capped by a birdie at the last that would have been worthy of winning any tournament. Having now finished second in the last two majors, he’ll hopefully contend again in the other big ones this year and also be a key figure for Europe again in a Ryder Cup.

However, despite his sloppy finish in the opening round, I, for one, remained confident this was going to be McIlroy’s best chance yet to become the owner of a Green Jacket and I don’t mind admitting that the odd tear was shed over the weekend.

It happened for the first time when he chipped in from the back of the green at the second for an eagle in Saturday’s third round during a record-breaking run of six straight 3s. I was off again standing beside the third green on Sunday as he rolled in a birdie putt after going from two ahead at the start of the final round to one behind DeChambeau playing that hole.

Along with everyone else, I couldn’t believe my eyes when McIlroy, having taken a 3-wood off the tee and then laid up with a 7-iron, then hit one of the worst wedge shots of his career to find Rae’s Creek at the 13th. That was the point when you wondered if the weight of history on his shoulders was about to take its toll once again, but this time proved different for two reasons.

All week long, he’d hit some of the best shots of his career. I doubt, for instance, that he’s hit better back-to-back approaches than the ones that set up brilliant birdies at the tenth and 11th in his second-round 66. Then there was his towering 6-iron second shot to six feet for an eagle-3 at the 15th on Saturday. That was a thing of beauty and so, too, was the 7-iron that he slung around the trees on the left of the fairway to safely find the green at the same hole 24 hours later. Equally impressive were his approaches to set up birdies at the 17th then the 18th in the play-off.

Many on the leaderboard tried to chase Rory McIlroy down. | Getty Images

He also showed oodles of resilience. Regrouping for day two after having two double bogeys in the last three holes on day one. Pulling himself together after starting the final round with a double-bogey 6 after stupidly going past the hole with his chip.

Shaking off that horror hole in Amen Corner on Sunday then digging deep one final time in the play-off after he’d made a mess of the 18th in regulation play from the fairway and fair play to the much-maligned Harry Diamond for saying exactly what he needed to hear to be focused for tackling it again.

Yes, there were some poor shots in the final round. And, yes, as McIlroy himself was the first to admit, he got lucky at times, including the 11th, when there’s every chance that his overhit low second shot would have ended up in the water instead of putting on the brakes in the nick of time.

There have been plenty of times over the past 11 years, though, when the golfing Gods didn’t shine on him, so he was due the break or two that helped him become a major winner again.

What now? Well, the PGA Championship is next up and Quail Hollow, venue for the Wanamaker Trophy event on this occasion, has been one of his happy hunting grounds in the past.

The US Open at Oakmont is after that before McIlroy will turn his attention to a gig on home soil in the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush and, make no mistake, he’ll be a man on a mission that week after missing the cut on the event’s eagerly-awaited return to the County Antrim venue in 2019.

Bryson DeChambeau was hot on the heels of the eventual champion. | Getty Images

Other targets this year will be to perform at his best in the Ryder Cup in September, having felt he let Europe down the last time it was played on US soil and not being scared to show his emotional side in the process as he broke down in tears at Whistling Straits.

He’ll also be determined to land a seventh DP World Tour Race to Dubai title and, on the back of this flying start in the majors, it seems almost inevitable that he will have closed the gap on Colin Montgomerie to just one by the end of the season.

What the narrative will be for McIlroy and golf, for that matter, beyond that remains to be seen, but, after a day like Sunday, I’m off to lie down in a darkened room before I even start to think about that.