Rory McIlroy admits what he did immediately after his double bogey on the 13th hole on the final day at The Masters, ‘I needed to’

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At times it felt like it might never happen, but Rory McIlroy got the job done and finally won The Masters, though he did admit he deviated from his plan at one point in the final round.

After waiting 11 years since his last major tournament victory, Rory McIlroy has now put his demons to rest and secured The Masters for the first time, and with it, his career grand slam.

He didn’t make it easy for himself (or the fans watching along), with a number of missed opportunities and problematic shots shortening McIlroy’s 54-hole lead to end up level with Justin Rose on 11-under.

Thankfully, McIlroy navigated the play-off hole to perfection, delivering a sublime birdie to outdo Rose and secure the famous green jacket.

McIlroy’s immediate reaction was one of relief, which is understandable given the agonising wait he’s endured for this achievement.

Indeed, now he’s won The Masters, and the incredible career grand slam, there are many things we can forgive McIlroy for, including one little lapse in concentration on the final day.

• READ MORE: 10 things Rory McIlroy receives for winning The Masters from the Green Jacket to a unique tee time

Rory McIlroy left his ‘bubble’ briefly after disastrous 13th hole

Sitting down to talk to ESPN’s Marty Smith after receiving his green jacket, McIlroy discussed the manner of his focus on the fourth day, and admitted he did let himself get distracted by the scoreboard just once, immediately after suffering a near-fatal double bogey on the 13th hole.

He said: “Honestly I would say that bubble probably did burst. I think when I made the seven at 13 I needed to look at the board. I needed to see where I was. I needed to see what the other guys were doing.

“I could see what Bryson was doing. But I needed to look at the board and see what Justin was doing and what Ludvig was doing. The bubble did probably burst for a little bit and I was able to steady myself and make some really good swings coming in.”

Still, McIlroy was able to regain his focus after that, and we know he didn’t even say a word to Bryson DeChambeau the whole way round, which just outlines how committed he was to getting over the line on the day.

He may have missed that crucial putt on the 18th the first time, but thankfully, McIlroy made sure of it in the play-off.

On that, McIlroy added: “I had a chance to win it in regulation and it didn’t quite happen but, again, I had to reset and I played a perfect play-off hole and was able to get it done.”

• READ MORE: Justin Rose says what was actually ‘very cool’ in losing to Rory McIlroy in first social media post since Masters heartbreak

Recovering quickly was key to Rory McIlroy’s Masters win

There were more than a few wobbles along the way on that final day at Augusta, but the key difference is we saw a Rory McIlroy who was laser-focused and composed, who didn’t let those errors throw him off his game.

McIlroy had to contend with ‘unusual’ pin positions, and what Jordan Spieth claimed were very birdie-friendly holes in places, which he believes allowed the likes of Rose back into the contest.

But, it wasn’t just the mental side of things were McIlroy stepped up. We saw some truly breathtaking, all-timer shots from McIlroy, too, including those stunning approach shots on the 15th and 17th hole, as well as that killer iron stroke in the play-off.

The beauty of McIlroy’s play is that he was able to recover so quickly from every little setback. To make four double bogeys across the four days and still come out on top is near-impossible, but it’s testament to the fact that the Northern Irishman appears to have finally mastered the art of bouncing back.

With the mental demons exorcised and his technical play looking stronger than ever, there’s no reason why Dame Laura Davies’ prediction of more majors to come can’t be absolutely spot on for McIlroy in the next few years.