Sunday at the Masters was billed as a clash between Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau. The final round ended up being something different, with McIlroy edging out Justin Rose in a playoff, but DeChambeau did manage to add a little intrigue after the fact.
Speaking with reporters Sunday, the two-time U.S. Open champ revealed that McIlroy gave him the silent treatment for all 18 holes. Speculation on the reason was inevitable, especially given the pair’s history, and a key member of McIlroy’s circle provided an explanation Wednesday.
Speaking with BBC Radio 4, Bob Rotella, McIlroy’s sports psychologist, said it was all part of a plan for McIlroy to tune everything out all week:
“That didn’t have anything to do with Bryson. That was just the gameplan all week, and we wanted to get lost in it.
“We didn’t want to pay attention to what anyone else was scoring, or shooting, or swinging or how far they were hitting it — we just wanted Rory to play his game.
“The point is, if you believe you’re going to win, just play your game and assume that if you do that anywhere near the way you’re capable of, then you will end up number one.”
That explanation is in line with what McIlory told CBS’ Amanda Balionis on Saturday, emphasizing that he wanted to lock in rather than pay attention to DeChambeau or anyone else:
“I think the big thing is not to make it a rematch, stay in my own little world,” McIlroy said. “There’s a few other people on that leaderboard that could make a run, so I just have to do what I’ve been doing, sort of surround myself in my own little cocoon and just get into my own little bubble.
“He’ll do what he does, and I just have to stay firm and just stay in my own little world.”
Obviously, that game plan paid off — in about as stressful a fashion as possible. McIlroy was on the verge of perhaps the worst loss of his career, having squandered a five-stroke lead over the field on the back nine and a seven-stroke lead over Rose, his playoff opponent. A missed putt on the 18th set the stage for a white-knuckle playoff, where one of the biggest shots of McIlroy’s life gave him an emotional win.
The whole thing was great theater, even with DeChambeau fading from the field early on the back nine. It certainly paid off for McIlroy and CBS, though with more drama than the former likely would’ve preferred.
