AUGUSTA — The tears streamed down his face as Rory McIlroy walked along a roped path from the 18th green to the clubhouse. A long line of fans, several deep, chanted his name and a slew of players, officials, friends and family waited to greet him.
Among the first was Shane Lowry, McIlroy’s friend and fellow competitor whose smile was as wide as the putt needed to win the Masters in a playoff on Sunday. Lowry grabbed McIlroy and lifted him off the ground, a hug that spoke volumes.
