Stephen A. Smith is the latest pundit to weigh in on Rory McIlroy’s famous victory at Augusta National.
He typically speaks about the NBA and NFL, but, like many sports fans around the world, The Masters was too entertaining for him not to pay attention to.
McIlroy won his first Green Jacket and completed the career Grand Slam after an incredible final round, which ended in a playoff between him and Justin Rose.
Smith reflected on the great occasion and said that people had “forgotten” something about the Northern Irishman before last week.
Stephen A. Smith says what golf fans forgot about Rory McIlroy before The Masters
It had been so long since McIlroy’s last major championship victory (11 years) that it almost felt like he was going for his first rather than his fifth.
Smith pointed out that the world number two’s previous triumphs – two PGA Championships, one US Open and one Open Championship – were a distant memory before his win at Augusta National.
He explained: “I agree with you that it’s one of the great sports moments, and he’s one of the great ones. Make no mistake about it.
“If you remember, just last June, when DeChambeau snagged the US Open from him, you just wondered whether he’d ever be able to recover because so many opportunities had been within his grasp and he wasn’t able to deliver.
“But along the way, we’d forgotten about his greatness over the years. 2011 US Open, 2012 and 2014 PGA Championship and 2014 Open Championship as well. This 11-year drought where he couldn’t capture The Masters. It was the one thing that had eluded him.”
Smith added that everyone should “appreciate” and be inspired by the lengths McIlroy went to to finally wear the Green Jacket.
“You get to the point where just watching and chronicling any sport, it’s one thing to marvel at the things people can do that most human beings can’t, but when you look at him, really it’s just a story of perseverance,” he added. “He’s 35 years of age, and people were writing him off, and he was like, ‘No, I’m going to be here for a while.’ I’m looking at some of these numbers, where he’s ranked in the world, and I’m just saying to myself, ‘Look at this guy right here.’
“If you look at him and you see how he performed yesterday, you are wondering whether it was going to be a choke job or something. Was he going to lose this? He didn’t, and because of that, you’ve just got to give him credit where credit is due. It’s been that proverbial monkey on his back, and he finally got rid of it. It’s a story of perseverance, and we should all be able to appreciate that because, really, that’s what it comes down to. That much is in all of us if you want something bad enough.”
NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe gives his verdict on Rory McIlroy’s victory at Augusta National
Smith was joined by NFL Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe, who also spoke about McIlroy’s lengthy wait between major victories.
Sharpe couldn’t believe that he missed the par putt to win the tournament on the 18th hole, but praised him for his “unbelievable” shots in the playoff versus Rose.
“Think about this, guys. He won his last major at 25, and here he is at 35. There’s a 10-year gap in there.
“He showed his human side on the 18th when he missed a five-foot par putt. How many average guys miss putts like that? We don’t expect to see professionals, especially Rory McIlroy, miss that shot.
“But he regrouped, gathered himself and went back to the 18th. He hit an unbelievable tee shot and approach shot and won the championship.”
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