For the first time in a quarter century since Tiger Woods accomplished the feat, Rory McIlroy won back-to-back Masters on Sunday in Augusta, Georgia.
It was a thrilling four-day competition, in which McIlroy sprinted off to the greatest lead the tournament had ever seen through the first two days to fall back to Earth on Saturday before needing every inch on Sunday to get over the line.
But though it was a historic win for McIlroy, not everyone is happy.
Why?
Some fans, including pundits, believe McIlroy had an unfair advantage over the rest of the field, making his win controversial.
While it had nothing to do with what McIlroy actually did on the course during the tournament, it’s what he was doing in preparation for the biggest tournament of the year.
As his opponents traveled across the world competing in other events, McIlroy focused solely on the Masters, spending time with his family and using all his free time to travel down to the Masters course to practice endlessly.
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McIlroy made no secret of his training for the Masters, even saying that Augusta had started to feel like his “home course” after so many days of practice. He talked about how it helped him know how to react to every tee shot, which he needed after a weekend of inaccurate starting drives.
“Again, like I’ve said all weekend, Rory is an all-time great golfer,” posted sports reporter Jon Root on social media. “He’s not breaking any rules, but he is EXPLOITING the existing rules, which give him an unfair advantage over the field. The rules need to change. He seems to have been given unlimited access to Augusta, which made him insanely familiar with the course, and widening the competitive disparity gap. Everyone should admit this is unfair.”
Although Root and others will continue to rally for change, McIlroy, possibly already deciding on what he should serve for next year’s dinner arrangements, will assuredly be back at his “home course” next spring in what could be one of the greatest golfing accomplishments ever seen: the Masters three-peat.
