RORY McILROY let the tears flow as he paid tribute to his mum and dad after finally winning The Masters.
The 35-year-old brought the long wait for a career Grand Slam to an enthralling end with a play-off win over Justin Rose at Augusta.
He had to do it the hard way, as the Holywood man surrendered an at one point four-shot lead to the Englishman.
And after missing a par putt for the green jacket on 18, he had to regather his composure to finally vanquish his spirited rival.
The emotion poured out of McIlroy in celebration, and revealed that there had been times in his career that he didn’t think it would ever happen.
He said: “It feels incredible.
“This is my 17th time here and I started to wonder if it was ever going to be my time.
“I think the last ten years coming here, with the burden of the Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that, I am sort of wondering what we are all going to be talking about going into next year’s Masters.
“I am just absolutely honoured and thrilled and so proud to be able to call myself a Masters champion.”
The Irishman went through a rollercoaster of emotions on Sunday.
A double bogey on the first wiped out a two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau that had been built on Friday and Saturday.
As the American waned, McIlroy responded with birdies on three, four, nine, and ten to go into a four-shot lead.
But a bogey on 11 was followed by a double bogey on 13 after finding the water, while a subsequent bogey on 14 put him in a three-way tie with Justin Rose and Ludvig Aberg.
Birdies on 15 and 17 seemed to arrest his struggles, only for the miss on 18 setting up the play-off.
The world no2 added: “When I hit the wedge shot into the creek on 13, I felt like I did a really good job of bouncing back from that.
“And the double bogey at the first as well,
“I was really nervous going out and it was almost as if the double bogey going out the first calmed my nerves a bit and calmed me down in a weird way.
“I just think all week how I responded to setbacks, that is what I will take from this week.
“I couldn’t be more proud of myself for that and being able to bounce back when I needed to.”
The tears came again as he rounded out his interview, as he paid tribute to his mum Rosie and dad Gerry.
He said: “I would say it was 14 years in the making from going out with a four-shot lead in 2011, feeling like I could have gotten it done there.
“There was a lot of pent up emotion that just came out on that 18th green,
“A moment like that makes all the years and all the close calls worth it.
“I want to say hello to my mum and dad. They are back home in Northern Ireland.
“I can’t wait to see them next week and I just can’t wait to celebrate this with them.”
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