You cannot help but feel a little sorry for Rory McIlroy. After leading the Masters over 63 holes, his valiant effort to claim his first major title sensationally imploded with a final round total of 80 to leave him down in 15th place.McIlroy, who led this tournament from the first round, looked in relaxed mood before he teed off on Sunday.
He had been staying with his close friends all week to make sure he was not left feeling the pressure. They had all watched home side Ulster play Northampton in the Heineken Cup quarter final.
However, if they were looking for omens, then maybe they got one when the Northern Irish side were soundly beaten 23-13.
Things started badly for McIlroy when he made bogey on the first. At the second hole he hit a fairway bunker with his drive and then failed to escape cleanly. He took another bogey at five and his four shot lead going into today was quickly wiped out.
A birdie at seven offered McIlroy renewed hope but his astonishing disintegration was just moments away.
He duffed his chip on eight before his nemesis was to raise its head in the form of the 10th hole. His tee shot hit a tree before he crisscrossed the fairway on his way to a triple bogey seven.
McIlroy followed that with some woeful putting at the 11th and 12th, as his game totally deserted him.
It was cruel to watch and similar to Greg Norman's collapse here in 1996 when he blew a six shot lead to gift the title to Nick Faldo.
Norman has since been asked about that drastic disintegration on countless occasions, but in truth, he never really recovered and did not win another major.
Fortunately, Norman had already won two majors by the time he lost to Faldo, but it begs the question whether McIlroy can recover.
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