Rory McIlroy's Strong Final Round at Masters Is Promising Sign for Future Majors

World No. 2 golfer Rory McIlroy had another forgettable Masters performance in 2013, but an impressive round of 69 Sunday was just the finish he needed to keep his game up for the remaining three majors.

The North Irish star was off-and-on to start out the tournament, hitting even-par on Thursday before posting a 70 Friday to enter the weekend as a sure-fire contender at just four shots off the lead. It certainly wasn't his best golf, but he was in the hunt. 

Saturday brought the signature McIlroy performance at the Masters that many of us expected. Just one birdie to go along with three bogeys, a double bogey and a triple bogey had him signing off on a round of 79 scorecard by the end of the day, putting him at 5-over for the tournament. 

While the possibility of winning his third major championship eluded him with that poor round, it didn't ruin McIlroy's spirits. Instead, he showcased one of the best rounds of the day with a 3-under score of 69 to finish out the Masters at two over par. 

At just 23 years old, McIlroy showed at Augusta National this weekend that he's become a more mature and more poised golfer. 

In recent years, Sunday would've been another day to forget for McIlroy as his crushed hopes would turn into another high-70s score. But instead, he showed he can bounce back and play stellar golf, no matter what the situation is.

One of my favorite things to watch is a player excelling when they're already out of contention. It shows heart and pure love for the game instead of just the desire to win. It's these types of traits that help mold great golfers who can contend until their 50s. 

For McIlroy, two major victories are only the start to what should be a decade-long reign near the top of the golf world. Of course, that's all contingent on him maturing into a golfer with a good head on his shoulders.

We all know Rory is elite and possesses some of the best skill in any field, but there have been questions regarding his composure and ability to finish out the job. Nothing shows composure like cutting your score by 10 strokes from one day to the next. 

While finishing over par is certainly a disappointment for the No. 2 golfer in the world, he can look at his final round Sunday and have hope for what's to come in 2013. 

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