AUGUSTA, Ga. — For Rory McIlroy, the wait continues.

It will be 11 years before next he comes to Augusta National in an attempt to win the Masters and, finally, complete his career Grand Slam.

It wasn’t to be in Year 10.

McIlroy finished the 2024 Masters at 4-over par. He shot 71-77-71-73. The Friday second-round 77 sticking out like a sore thumb and ruining any realistic chance to get the coveted title.

“I don’t really know what to say,” McIlroy said. “Just sort of felt like my game was okay and managed it pretty well, but obviously Friday was a really tough day, and losing five shots sort of put me in a pretty difficult position going into the weekend.

“Then the conditions were pretty tough. The greens are crusty and firm and hard to get the ball super close and hard to make a ton of birdies. Once you get seven or eight back going into the weekend here, it’s hard to make up that ground.”

The week started with promise. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus were both asked and responded in the affirmative that McIlroy would one day win the Masters.

Still, he waits.

Now, McIlroy will turn his attention to the final three majors of the year. It’s just not the missing Masters that McIlroy covets. The four-time major winner has won a major title since 2014, when he won both the PGA Champions and the British Open.

“I need to take a little bit of time and reflect on this week and what I did well, what I didn’t do so well, and sort of try to make a plan for the next few months, especially from here going through obviously the end of July,” McIlroy said. “As you say, major season, they’re going to come thick and fast here, so hopefully get myself in a bit better form for those last three.”

And then … see you in Augusta next year.

_____

©2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.