There was no official proclamation. No banners hung at Augusta National Golf Club to signify the final day of the 89th Masters Tournament would belong exclusively to anyone.
There was only a sense, a feeling.
“Sunday was kind of Rory Day,” one patron said.
At the Masters, you are a “patron,” not a spectator. And this particular patron lives among us.
A retired teacher, coach and athletic director, Brian Knutson of Bloomington has watched the Masters every April on TV. That changed this year, when he was given two tickets for each round of the Masters’ four-day run.
So when Rory McIlroy completed golf’s career Grand Slam on Sunday, sinking a birdie putt on the 18th hole to win a playoff over Justin Rose, Knutson was in the fourth row of green-side chairs.
“From Rory to where we were, it was 15 to 20 yards,” Knutson said. “There was a sense that people wanted Rory to win. As he came up the fairway, most people were chanting, ‘Rory!’ When he made it (the putt), it was awesome.”
As the ball dropped, ending McIlroy’s 11-year quest to add the Masters to his British Open, U.S Open and PGA Championship titles, he crumpled to the ground. The weight of expectation and near-misses at Augusta was lifted. Tears streamed down his face.
Other eyes were moist as well.
“There was a young lady next to me who had earpieces in and was working for the network or somebody. She was really crying,” Knutson said. “Everybody was hugging each other and high fiving. There was a lot of celebration. It was an emotional moment.”
A lifetime memory? You bet.
Knutson was still processing it a few days later. Attending any Masters would have been a dream realized. Witnessing history from 15 to 20 yards away? Are you kidding?
McIlroy became only the sixth player to win all of golf’s major championships, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
“I think a lot of older guys have bucket lists. That was the No. 1 bucket list. I wanted to see the Masters,” Knutson said. “I got the opportunity and it was great.
“We got to take the whole family, the weather was perfect. And yes, I saw a guy win the Grand Slam. It couldn’t have been more perfect. I don’t know what I did, but I got blessed.”
Knutson and his wife, Margie, were joined by their son, Pat, and their daughter and son in-law, Mollie and Jeff Mayer. They stayed in Athens, Ga., about 100 miles from Augusta, and rotated each day who attended the tournament.
Knutson went with his son on Thursday and his son in-law on Sunday.
“Everybody got to experience it,” Knutson said. “It was a little hard on our pocketbook as far as in the gift shop. You walk in there and you want to buy everything.
“There’s something about being at the Masters. I’ve been to other pro golf tournaments. The Masters, from the minute you walk in, is totally different. It’s just a feeling. You’re just staring at history. There’s a feeling at the Masters that, ‘This is a really special thing.’”
Part of the experience was getting out of bed early. Whoever was attending each day would leave Athens at about 3:45 a.m. to make the hour and 45-minute drive. The goal was to get in line at the gate as early as possible.
Why?
To place your chairs at a prime location for viewing later in the day. On Sunday, Knutson had his younger and faster son in-law take their two chairs to the 18th green.
They were in position by roughly 7 a.m., and per Masters protocol, once your chairs are in place, no one can move them or sit in them.
That enabled Knutson and Jeff Mayer to walk the hilly course throughout the day. After seeing McIlroy dump a shot in the water on No. 13, leading to a double bogey, they moved to their chairs on 18.
McIlroy needed a par on 18 to win in regulation and had a five-foot par putt.
“Everybody thought, ‘Here we go. We’re going to see him win it,’” Knutson said.
The putt slid past the hole, resulting in a bogey and the playoff with Rose. The playoff began by playing No. 18 again, and McIlroy’s second shot put him inside four feet of the hole.
“His shot was so good. He played the hill on the green and it rolled right toward the cup,” Knutson said. “You got a feeling then that, ‘This is going in. He’s not going to miss this.’”
After Rose missed his birdie putt, McIlroy rolled his in. It capped off an unforgettable day for him and those who saw it, from Masters regulars to first-timers like Knutson.
Tri-Valley High School’s former athletic director said he “never thought this would happen,” and offered some advice.
“If you ever get a chance to go, go,” he said. “It’s unlike anything else. When you walk in, it’s so beautiful. It’s hard to believe you’re at Augusta.
“It was just unbelievable. The Masters lived up to everything I thought it would be.”
