READY... OR NOT

Pressure of winning first masters gets to Mcllroy, instead of Reed

AUGUSTA, Ga. — “Now I’m ready.’’

Those will go down as Rory McIlroy’s famous last words Saturday as if he was talking himself into believing this was his time to finally win the Masters for the first time.

And those weren’t McIlroy’s only words as he would double down.

After putting himself in position for a final-round run to win his fifth major championship and complete the rare career grand slam — three shots behind leader Patrick Reed entering Sunday’s final round — McIlroy went Rambo-gamesmanship on the man he would be chasing (in futility) Sunday.

“Patrick has got a three-shot lead; I feel like all the pressure is on him,’’ McIlroy said Saturday. “He’s got to go out and protect that, and he’s got a few guys chasing him that are pretty bigtime players. He’s got that to deal with and sleep on tonight. I feel like I can go out there and play like I’ve got nothing to lose.

“I’m really excited to go out there and show everyone what I’ve got, show Patrick Reed what I’ve got. The pressure’s on him tomorrow. He went to Augusta State and has a lot of support out here. I’m hoping to come in and spoil the party.”

By day’s end, though, the only party McIlroy spoiled was his own.

Instead of chasing down Reed, who beat him 1-up in that epic 2016 Ryder Cup leadoff singles match at Hazeltine, McIlroy meekly faded from final-round contention on Sunday, doomed by his putting, which is softer way of saying he was doomed by his own nerves.

McIlroy closed with a surprising (and massively disappointing) 2over 74 and finished six shots behind Reed, the man he publicly challenged the night before, and the man who would get the exclusive invite into Butler Cabin to slip on the green jacket McIlroy so desperately craved.

“Look, of course it’s frustrating,’’ McIlroy said.

McIlroy wasn’t exactly effusive about Reed afterward, saying, “He just hung in there a little bit better than I did and got the job done.’’

Reed, who clearly was fueled by McIlroy’s Saturday public challenge, said he was also was boosted by what he perceived as everyone picking McIlroy to win Sunday despite the fact Reed took the three-shot lead into the day.

“I walked up to the first tee and had a really welcoming cheer from the fans, but then when Rory walked up to the tee, his cheer was a little louder,’’ Reed said. “That’s another thing that just kind of played into my hand. Not only did it fuel my fire a little bit, but also, it just takes the pressure off of me and adds it back to him.

“For me trying to win my first [major] and for him trying to win the career grand slam, it’s who is going to handle the pressure and who is going to have more pressure on them?’’ Reed said. “Honestly, I felt like a lot of that pressure was kind of lifted and kind of taken off of me.’’

McIlroy, who was riding high after winning at Bay Hill last month, seemed disillusioned by his performance.

“I’ll sit down and reflect over the next few days and see what I could have potentially done better,’’ McIlroy said. “I just didn’t quite have it today. I played some great golf [Saturday]. I just didn’t continue that golf into today.’’

Failure is perhaps the most potent fuel of all. And McIlroy appeared propelled by it, having grown from the experience of the four-shot final-round lead he blew in the 2011 Masters, when he closed with an 80 and openly wept during his very public meltdown.

McIlroy, always one of the most honest, candid interviews in sports, called that 2011 experience at Augusta “a huge turning point in my career.’’

“It was the day that I realized I wasn’t ready to win major championships, and I needed to reflect on that and realize what I needed to do differently,’’ he said. “But now I am ready.’’ Yet he wasn’t on Sunday. This is what will gall McIlroy most when he looks back at this Masters: The green jacket was there for him and he failed to seize the moment.

Reed merely hung on, shooting a 1-under 71 in the final round, meaning a 67 from McIlroy would have done it for him, elevated him into a heady club of career grand slam winners — Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

Seven players shot 67 or better on Sunday. McIlroy was not one of them. Not even close.