Tiger Woods has never refused to try to recreate his iconic chip-in on the 16th hole at Augusta National Golf Club in the 2005 Masters, in part because course changes made it a different shot, but not every Masters champion can resist the temptation to return to Augusta and recapture the magic of their crowning moment.
So did Rory McIlroy, who recently returned to Augusta National for the first time as Masters champion. McIlroy played a round there with his father, Gerry, and Augusta National president Fred Ridley, and when he reached the 15th hole, he couldn’t help but retreat to his spot behind the trees on the left side of the fairway, where he made “the shot of my life.” He set up the decisive birdie with a swooping 7-iron draw.
The problem with trying to recreate an iconic moment is that it usually doesn’t work the second time around, but McIlroy one-upped himself at Friday’s Arnold Palmer Invitational by actually diving into the albatross hole and sending the ball inches from the cup.
“To recreate that, I took another shot at No. 15 and almost threw it into the hole,” McIlroy said. “I actually had a better shot[at the Masters]. It was unbelievable. I wish I had it on camera.”
For a player so troubled by his past at Augusta National, it’s a big change for McIlroy to return there with great memories and shots he wants to recreate. Considering his last three approach shots, the atmosphere never seems to be as high as when he steps into the 15th hole. He hit two legendary irons for an eagle and a birdie on Saturday and Sunday, and now his reenactment is holed out for an almost albatross.
With a month left until McIlroy’s Masters title defense — he currently shares space in the champion’s locker room with Raymond Floyd and Ben Hogan — if he can maintain his dominance on the 15th, given the importance of par-5s to winning at Augusta National, he could certainly be in danger of adding a second green jacket to his collection.
