Rory McIlroy edged Justin Rose in a playoff to capture his first green jacket 14 years after leading in the fourth round at Augusta National

Rory McIlroy had been trying for 11 arduous years to join one of golf’s most exclusive fraternities, and his long wait came to an end on Sunday with a win at the Masters.

The Mount Rushmore of golf now has six faces carved into granite, and for that Rory McIlroy should feel as though he achieved the highest pinnacle in golf. In his 18 years on tour — half his life as a professional golfer — McIlroy has never won three times before the calendar turned to May.