ATLANTA – Rory McIlroy, after failing to win the championship at the Masters, left Augusta National with a special purchase from the gift shop. The golfer revealed that he bought the remaining 1,100 flags at the Masters shop.
McIlroy has signed numerous flags. However, despite the large number, he expressed that he will never tire of signing them, as he waited 17 years to put his signature on the central flag. Players often sign flags for fans, but golfing tradition dictates that only the Masters champion signs their name within the outline of the United States, an emblematic part of the tournament’s logo. It’s been just over four months since McIlroy culminated his 17-year quest for the green jacket, securing the victory with a birdie on the first playoff hole against Justin Rose, thus completing the Grand Slam of his career. Although he hasn’t won since then and has spoken about finding motivation, being the Masters champion is still a privilege. He already has trips to Augusta National scheduled, a benefit reserved for the champion, including one with his father. What surprised him most was the experience of owning the green jacket of the Masters for a year. McIlroy said he used it all night until 3:30 a.m., and upon waking, experienced the sensations that many others have had. Seeing the jacket on a chair reminded him that it was all real, not a dream. She briefly used it at the Golf Writers Association dinner during the British Open. On other occasions, they have been counted.“We took the 1,100”, McIlroy commented on Tuesday, prior to the Tour Championship, marking the end of a PGA Tour season that has been unforgettable for him, all thanks to a Sunday in April.
Rory McIlroy
“I resist using it,” he confessed. “It’s not that I use it much. I have it hanging in my closet, where I can see it every day. I always thought that if I won the Masters, I wouldn’t take it off, but it hasn’t been that way. I haven’t used it as much as I imagined.”
Rory McIlroyMcIlroy has planned trips with friends and some members of Augusta National with whom he has forged a friendship. He will have to wear his green jacket at the club, something he will surely enjoy.“I’ve always said that some of my best times at Augusta were when it wasn’t the Masters,” he said, referring to the times he went to practice before the Masters. “But it will be wonderful to go next time, enter the champions’ locker room, put on my green jacket and feel like I belong.”
Rory McIlroy
