They say success tastes much sweeter after the bitterness of failure.
For Rory McIlroy that certainly rang true in 2011 – a year that saw him endure both the extreme highs and lows of elite golf.
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Rory McIlroy overcame disappointment at the Masters to win the US Open in 2011Credit: Getty
McIlroy was aged just 21 when he was handed his first testing period as a professional at The Masters at Augusta.
The Northern Irishman pulled ahead of the pack with ease having opened with a bogey-free seven-under 65.
That gave him a two-shot cushion over Jason Day with Tiger Woods a further stroke back in his own quest for a 15th major title.
Heading into the weekend, McIlroy was the man to catch and three birdies across the final six holes stretched his lead to four strokes ahead of the final day’s play.
Not one to get too far ahead of himself, McIlroy tried to keep his composure as well as he could but the tide began to turn after missing a routine put from five feet early on Sunday.
He responded with three consecutive pars but in his eyeline was a resurgent Charl Schwartzel who was building momentum after registering a birdie, par and eagle to draw level after his third hole.
The race for the title ebbed and flowed until McIlroy’s unfortunate free-fall at the 10th hole which saw him hit two shots into the trees.
It was the start of a demise that saw the green jacket slowly slip away from the youngster and into the grasp of the South African.
McIlroy left the green to a rapturous ovation but the aftermath was quite the opposite as fans and sections of the media began questioning his credentials at the highest level.
But a fresh-faced McIlroy had no plans to feed into that perception.
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McIlroy told Piers Morgan how he dealt with criticism of his collapse at the 2011 MastersCredit: cnn
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Rory McIlroy’s 2011 triumph at Congressional was his first major titleCredit: AFP
He brushed himself down, got back to work and by the end of the year, was crowned US Open champion, putting to bed any doubts over his ability to get over the line.
In a later interview with Piers Morgan, McIlroy explained how even at such a young age he brushed off the naysayers to settle the score.
“If anything it made me more determined to go back and prove to a lot of people, not just the media, but everyone and to prove to myself that I wasn’t this person they were making me out to be in the press,” McIlroy said when asked if the criticism upset him.
“Choker. Can’t handle the pressure. I was determined to go out and show that that wasn’t me,” he added.
McIlroy won the US Open in 2011 with a record score of 16-under-par, beating his nearest rival Jason Day by eight strokes.
And he let Morgan into a secret as to how he was able to reenergise and refocus to turn around his fortunes in a matter of months to reign supreme at Congressional Country Club.
“I go and watch other sporting events. Wimbledon, boxing matches,” he said.
“I’ve got a five-a-side football pitch at home that me and my mates play on all the time and I’m a season ticket holder at Man United.
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McIlroy finally got his hands on the famous green jacket at Augusta in April
“Time off and time away from the game is nearly as important as the time that you practice because if you play golf everyday you get stale and go through the motions and it becomes a little bit tedious.
“Once you go away from the game for a couple of weeks, you’ve got that freshness back and that hunger and determination to work hard and practice again.”
And although he was forced to wait 14 years for his happy ending, McIlroy finally got his hands on the elusive Masters after a tense playoff victory over Justin Rose in April.
He has had a sluggish few months since that historic win.
Now, he’ll be hoping to use his secrets to success from over a decade ago to have another big week at Oakmont and claim glory in the 125th US Open this week.
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