Rory McIlroy: Why the Masters Meltdown Was His Most Defining Moment of 2011

Rory McIlroy has won three times since his 2011 Masters meltdown. After getting into the final round with a four-shot lead, Rors had a dreadful back-nine which resulted in shooting an 80 and finishing tied for 15th.

McIlroy's career turned around quickly, just three months later he grabbed the U.S. Open title and set 11 records for the tournament.

It's been a year since Rory left Augusta in tears, but why was losing the green jacket the best thing that could happen to him?

Aggressiveness

When Rory McIlroy was about to tee off on Augusta National last April 10, he wanted to play steady so he could protect his lead.

Eventually, the plan crumbled and resulted in one of most memorable meltdowns in the Masters history.

But Rory learned the lesson: It's important to be aggressive in the last round. He said prior to the Volvo Match Play Championship, held in Spain, that he should have been thinking to shoot 65 and beat everybody else.

Fan Favorite

McIlroy had always been an approachable player, but after the Masters meltdown and his comeback at the U.S. Open, he gained a lot of fans.

The Northern Irishman left Augusta heartbroken, but pampered with the applause and chants of those who saw how he crumbled.

"I'm incredibly grateful for it. I really appreciate it. It was a very tough day for me. … It makes it a lot easier to take," he said to the reporters gathered at the media center.

He has also been laid back about his relationship with tennis pro Caroline Wozniacki, and has let people know through his Twitter account what the couple has been up to, from cooking to practicing together.

Maturity

The best sign that the Masters meltdown was McIlroy's most defining moment in 2011 was winning the 111th U.S. Open.

It's not easy to claim that title, but to accomplish it the way Rors did shows how much he learned from the Augusta experience.

"To be able to finish it off the way I did, you know, it just tells me that I learned from it and I've moved on and now I've got this, I can go ahead and concentrate on getting some more," he acknowledged.

Media Attention

It is not easy to handle media, that's just a fact. Giving the right answer to people asking personal and professional stuff, sometimes even biased, is tough.

Rors went to talk to reporters after his Masters meltdown, taking his time and handling himself in style. He didn't crumble nor was rude.

Since last April, Rory's been constantly compared to Tiger Woods. But the 22-year-old has only praised the golfer he thinks is "the best by a long way... it's quite an honor just to be mentioned in the same sentence."

Handling comparisons, pressure and expectations from the media is not an easy feat and Rors has pulled it off, no question.

Putting

Rory's success at the 111th U.S. Open came after he started working with Dave Stockton, a longtime putting coach who has helped golfers like Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Hunter Mahan, Yani Tseng, Michelle Wie and Suzann Pettersen play better on the green.

McIlroy has been putting better ever since, which shows on his performance stats. In 2010, Rors' scoring average was 70.3 on the PGA Tour and 70.2 on the European Tour.

From the 2011 Masters to date, Rory has gained one stroke on the PGA Tour, he averages 69. On the European Tour, he registers 68.3, which means he's gained almost two strokes.

Stronger Mentality

Rory McIlroy blew away his four-shot lead and handed the 2011 Masters to South African Charl Schwartzel, who defeated Jason Day and Adam Scott by two.

Since his meltdown, Rory has led two times and won both of the tourneys. The first time he did so was at the U.S. Open and the second one, at The Honda Classic.

There's no doubt that closing with an 80 in Augusta taught him how to handle pressure and trust his game.