A Grip on Sports: In a drama worthy of an Oscar, Rory McIlroy finally takes the starring role he’s been waiting more than a decade to fulfill

A GRIP ON SPORTS • There is always a cinematic quality to Sundays at Augusta. Often, they carry a nature-documentary vibe. Or have shades of physical comedy. Not this year. Not this Palm Sunday. This was different. This was “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.” With a Shakespearean feel.

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• Rory McIlroy waited. Sometimes patiently. Too often not patient enough. Waited year after year, ever since he won the PGA Championship by a stroke over Phil Mickelson in 2014 at Louisville’s Valhalla Golf Club. Waited for his time to join a select group of golfers to have won each of the four majors. The career Grand Slam.

Since then, Augusta National has been his personal Helheim. Each April he trekked to the former plant nursery hoping to do what only five people had done before. Each year he failed. Until Sunday. Until a wedge on 18 in a sudden-death playoff with Justin Rose landed some three-feet from the hole. And his birdie putt rolled true, earning the win and bringing the 35-year-old to his knees.

He had finally reached Valhalla. After more than a decade he joined Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to win the Masters, PGA, U.S. Open and The Open in their career.

But like all good dramas, Sunday’s final round in the Georgia sun wasn’t without a handful of plot twists. A handful? How about two. Or more.

The plot was supposed to revolve around the final two contestants to take the course, McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau. They were separated by two strokes, with McIlroy on top, a role he’s played before as a Masters’ final round began.

Like the last time, when he was 21, he wasn’t there long. But, as he said later, that was something of a blessing. He was nervous. Looked it on the CBS broadcast. Admitted it later. Stomach churning, legs wobbly, facial tics evident. His first drive came up a foot short of perfect, ended up in a bunker, led to a double-bogey and a tie.

A hole later DeChambeau took the lead with a birdie. And the wacky, weird, mad-mad-mad-world rollercoaster began.

On three, a short par 4, McIlroy went big, hit a booming drive, a near-perfect chip and a perfect putt. DeChambeau three-putted. Another two-shot swing, another leader. Another two-shot swing – McIlroy birdie, DeChambeau bogey – on the par-3 fourth. 

McIlroy led by three strokes. The nerves? Gone. The game? Not perfect. But he kept finding ways to save par or, on nine and 10, birdie. A bogey on 11 was followed by a this-is-how-you-win-a-Masters drama-free par on 12.

By then DeChambeau was done, a double bogey of his own on 11 leading to a three-over 75 and footnote status. But there was another player trying to hog the spotlight. First- and second-round leader Justin Rose, seemingly undone with his 75 on Saturday. This day was different. He also was trying to earn his first green jacket. Ten birdies helped. Four bogies didn’t. He finished with a 66 and waited. Would McIlroy’s Augusta shortcomings show up once more?

Yes. A miss-hit wedge on 13 led to another double bogey, McIlroy’s fourth of the week. A bogey on 14 dropped him behind Rose. A birdie at 15 calmed the waters. A par on 16 – the par 3’s final-round hole was cut in a different area for the first time in more than 40 years, moved up to where it was in 1975 to commemorate Nicklaus’ win – and a birdie on 17 put him in front. A par on 18 would be enough.

But there was one more plot twist waiting. A poor second shot found the bunker. Led to a 5-foot par putt. He missed.

Screenwriters can be cruel, can’t they? Or maybe it’s all about the drama. If so, McIlroy was having none of it. A near-perfect drive, a put-the-pressure-on-Rose wedge and a heart-of-the-cup putt led to McIlroy’s sinking to his knees, his emotion getting the best of him – and us.

Relief or redemption? Really, it doesn’t matter. Both, maybe. It was joy wrapped up in tears, though the latter would leak out later, talking with Jim Nantz in an emotional Butler Cabin green jacket ceremony.

It was a film with a Hollywood ending for the boy-turned-old-beyond-his-years man from a different Hollywood in Northern Ireland.

And, yes, at times it was ugly. Bad. But all anyone will remember is the ending. It was more than good. It was grand.

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WSU: Around the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, John Canzano is reporting the conference will announce a media rights deal soon. For 2025. The long term one? That’s still up-in-the-air. … The Tennessee saga is pretty incredible. And may have an impact on transfers for the foreseeable future. … Fox went after ESPN’s Rece Davis with a wheelbarrow full of cash. ESPN kept him with their own. … Oregon State’s defense has found its way. … Oregon has an offensive lineman who is in his seventh year. Yep, lots of injuries. … Some California boosters are not sure of a recent hire. … Utah’s spring practices are done. Here are five players that stood out. … Recruiting never stops. Ask Colorado. … A former walk-on receiver is showing his skills for Arizona State. … An Arizona player has found his best position. … San Diego State scrimmaged Saturday. … In basketball news, another of Washington State’s transfers found a new home. Jenna Villa is headed to Corvallis to play for the Oregon State women. … Utah picked up a former top recruit in the portal. … A Tucson native is returning home to play for the Arizona men. 

Gonzaga: I was lucky – or unlucky – enough to coach against Mead High’s Teryn Gardner. She was one of those players who figured out what was needed for her team to win and did it. Score, pass, defend, rebound, cajole teammates. Whatever it took. She headed to Boise State where she played in 32 games last season. She entered the portal recently and, as Greg Lee tells us in this story, is coming home to play for the Bulldogs.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, the Montana women added a couple of taller transfers. … A former Northern Colorado men’s player is headed to Minnesota.

Chiefs: The second round of the WHL playoffs opened last night. Victoria traveled across the border. Took a two-goal lead over Spokane. The Chiefs rallied. Forced overtime. Scoreless. But in the second one, a power-play goal from Rasmus Ekstrom ended it, 4-3. Dave Nichols was in the Arena and has the coverage.

Indians: Dave did double-duty yesterday, starting at Avista Stadium for the finale of Spokane’s six-game series with visiting Vancouver. The Canadians rolled to a 7-1 win.

Velocity: Three second-half goals lifted Spokane to a 4-1 win over Texoma in ONE Spokane Stadium on Sunday. John Allison has the story.

Mariners: Damn the torpedoes, full-speed ahead. OK, that’s not exactly right. The M’s were at full-speed for their 5-1 homestand, capped by Sunday’s 3-1 win over the Rangers, but the torpedoes have been heavenly. Cal Raleigh hit another home run with his new bat in the win. … The M’s need infield reinforcements. They brought a youngster up from Tacoma, third baseman Ben Williamson.

Storm: Seattle holds the second pick in tonight’s WNBA draft. They are expected to keep it and take France’s 6-foot-6 Dominique Malonga, an intriguing 19-year-old prospect who played in the Olympics. … Paige Bueckers, who will sign a contract with the offseason 3-on-3 Unrivaled league, will be the first pick.

Kraken: One of Seattle’s youngsters seems to have a bright future.

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• I missed Jack Nicklaus’ 1986 Masters comeback victory while playing softball. Watched in on a VHS tape so many winters it’s a marvel the thing survived to be converted to a DVD. Now I have to figure out how to store McIlroy’s Sunday saga on the DVR so I can fire it up some dark, dank December night and smile. Not sure how to do it but I’ll figure it out. Until later …