Rory

It had more ups and downs than last week’s stock market.

Rory McIlroy exhausted all of us with nearly 5 hours of golf's version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Breathtakingly magnificent quickly followed by head shakingly awful (at least in world class terms). The best and the worst with very little respite in between.

The magic and the majesty of the Grand Slam there for the taking. The years of near misses and mangled putts in plain sight. The weight of anticipation almost palpable. The inexplicable double bogies courting disaster. The brilliance and the bewildered in mortal combat.

As he stood over that last little putt, the one we in the universe of the decidedly mediocre would call a gimme, our minds wandered between anticipated exultation and fear of another dagger to the putting stroke. When the ball came to rest at the bottom of the hole, and Rory came to rest on his hands and knees, well earned glory and a few million bucks awaited.

McIlroy now joins the pantheon of the sport's legends: Hogan, Nicklaus, Player, Woods and Sarazen. The best golf has ever offered.

For Rory McIlroy this day was many years and many heartbreaks in the making. And for a multitude of moments today it appeared this game was once more to be but cruel mistress. Making the glory taste that much sweeter.