Rory McIlroy Had Savage Line on How 15-Handicap Golfers Would Fare at 2024 Masters

Patrick Andres | Apr 13, 2024

Apr 13, 2024; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Rory McIlroy reacts to his shot on the second hole. / Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Network

One of the central appeals of golf, as much as any other televised sport, is that it is hard for everyone.

If you think your local course is beating you up on a particular weekend, you need only to go home and turn on your television to find courses around the world beating up on the best players on the planet. There is a sense of universality in the sport's futility.

On Saturday, one brave reporter asked Rory McIlroy to apply this logic to this weekend's windy conditions at Augusta National. Would an average, 15-handicap duffer really fare appreciably worse than the world's best?

That bubble quickly burst.

"It's hard because a 15-handicap doesn't usually get the ball in the air far enough for the wind to affect it," McIlroy said. "But they would've struggled."

Dagger from Rors. 😢#themasters pic.twitter.com/GOPkivlKOY

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) April 13, 2024

The question was particularly audacious because, well, McIlroy has struggled at times this tournament, as he exited Saturday's third round tied for 21st place at three over par.

The moral of the story: If ever offered the opportunity to play Augusta, check your ego at the door.