Rory McIlroy has finally triumphed at The Masters, where he edged past Justin Rose in a tense playoff at Augusta National.
Jack Nicklaus is delighted for McIlroy following his victory in Georgia, which came in the first hole of the sudden-death playoff.
Rose was grateful to share in McIlroy’s success despite coming out second best, having made par on the 18th hole as the Northern Irishman made a birdie.
The European duo both finished on 11-under after four rounds, with McIlroy having entered Sunday with a two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau.
The Masters champion had waited over 10 years for his elusive fifth major victory, which now sees him join a handful of legends in winning the career Grand Slam.
The two shots Rory McIlroy hit in his final round of The Masters that he will never forget
And one of those legends has now shared his verdict on the latest winner of The Masters, with Gary Player saying on BBC Radio 5 Live: “It was so exciting, it was up and down, and for Rory to join us as a Masters champion and a Grand Slam winner is absolutely remarkable.
“I don’t think there’s ever been any doubt, I’ve always said he is the most talented player in the world today, he has the best swing by a mile.
“He is a hard worker and he deserves everything he gets. There were two shots in there that I will never forget for as long as I live.
“The first was when he was on number seven and he was in the trees, there was one little gap and he took a massive swing on to a tiny green and it ended up four feet from the hole.
“And then at the end, after it looked like he was blowing it at 13 and 14, he hit a high, high hook which ended up about six feet from the hole [on the 15th].
“And to finish on 18, after making a mess the first time around, he knocked it stone cold. I’ve never seen such enthusiasm by the crowd. They followed Rory and they wanted him to win.
“The country can be very proud of him, he is a wonderful, well-mannered man who is doing an awful lot of good for golf.”
What Gary Player thinks of Justin Rose after his Masters playoff loss to Rory McIlroy
McIlroy started his Sunday at The Masters in the worst possible fashion, allowing DeChambeau to take the lead after a double bogey at the first.
Another double bogey was carded after he found the water on the 13th, but the 35-year-old managed to recover with two superb birdies at 15 and 17.
And while McIlroy has rightfully stolen the limelight for his efforts, Player has already been commiserating with the runner-up.
Speaking of Rose, who lost to Sergio Garcia in a playoff at The Masters in 2017, the South African said: “Let’s not forget about Justin Rose.
“In my humble opinion, he might be the greatest gentleman I have ever met in golf. He was absolutely victorious in defeat.
“I would have known exactly how he felt because I came second three times. It never, ever leaves you. But I must praise him to the hilt for that.
“There is some logic in that this might ‘free’ him up. Golf is a game full of intricacies that nobody can ever really explain, you never quite know what is going to happen.
“I was sitting there watching with my family saying that Rory’s going to win by five shots – on the contrary, it is a humbling game.
“But nobody has got his talent. You don’t have to look to the future, look at what he’s done now. The Grand Slam, the five majors. We will hear a lot more from him.”
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