AUGUSTA, Ga. -- AS RORY MCILROY started his pre-Masters news conference on Tuesday, he glanced to the side at a videoboard, which featured a photo of him triumphantly raising his arms after he chipped in from a bunker on the 72nd hole of the 2022 tournament.
It was the final shot of McIlroy's latest attempt at becoming only the sixth golfer to complete the career Grand Slam in the Masters era, and although he once again fell short, he seems convinced that it was a turning point in his quest to join the most elite fraternity in the sport.