A Masters subplot that’s just as riveting

It was more than a decade-long wait in the making. And when Rory McIlroy finally got to claim the green jacket, the crowd gathered on the 18^th green and rose as one to salute the man who ended 11 years of near-misses and heartbreak.

It was indeed a riveting spectacle at Augusta National with many narratives waiting to be scripted to tell the story of a man who had long been destined for Masters glory.

While McIlroy finally lifted his burden of expectations, the heroics of an Englishman should not be dismissed, as he was also the protagonist in the subplot who provided that nail-biting finale to what had been a truly memorable week.

Starting seven shots back of McIlroy, Rose carded 10 birdies for a remarkable final round six-under-par 66. He finished with a birdie to set the clubhouse target of 11 under, forcing McIlroy to respond by draining his birdie putt on the first playoff hole to win the Masters title after he had missed a five-foot birdie putt in regulation play.

“What do you choose to dwell on, you know what I mean? There's no point in being too despondent about it and you look at all the good stuff that got me into this situation.

“You can't skip through a career without a little bit of heartache. It's not going to happen.

"If you're willing to lift the big championships, you've got to put yourself on the line. You have to risk feeling this way to get the reverse,” reflected Rose.

The 44-year-old lost in a playoff at the Masters to Sergio Garcia in 2017 and also finished runner-up in 2015. He has now finished in the top six at three of the last four Majors, but believes his moment to win one of golf’s four biggest prizes again will come.

“It's a bogey away from being the greatest round I've ever played,” he said. "It is a great round. I think if you look at the quality of golf, it possibly is,” added Rose.

The spotlight might belong to McIlroy, but Rose’s story might not be over yet. And like McIlroy, his time at Augusta National might still come one day.