MASTERS 2026
How Rory Learned How to Turn Regretful Misses into Major Triumphs BY JAIME DIAZ
I WAS SLOW TO WARM to Rory McIlroy the player. He was 20 when I first followed him for a
full round, on the Sunday of the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine. Mop-headed, skinny fat and loose limbed, he smashed his drive on the 490-yard par-4 first hole with a sublime blend of rhythm, speed and balance. Then, after a slightly pushed approach that left him in a very manageable place close to the green, he rushed through four more shots before holing out for a dumb double bogey. Rory bounced towards the next tee
PHOTOGRAPH BY ADAM GLANZMAN
14 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
MAY 2026
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