After leading throughout the first three days of the 2011 Masters, a 21-year-old Rory McIlroy looked set to win his first Major when he prepared for the fourth round at Augusta four years ago today.
The Northern Irishman, who had just two titles to his name heading into the event, shot a round of 65, seven-under-par on the opening day of the competition, leaving him tied for the lead with Spaniard Alvaro Quiros.
He ended up two shots clear at the top of the leaderboard on day two, before another solid round on the Saturday left him 12-under for the tournament, four shots clear of the chasing pack.
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Heading out on the final day knowing that he could be just 18 holes from victory, McIlroy finished the front nine one-over, but still sitting at the top of the leaderboard as he closed in on the famous green jacket.
However, things quickly changed when a tee-shot went wayward on the 10th hole, leaving him having to hit a shot around a tree on his way to finishing the four-par hole with a triple bogey.
McIlroy, who had bogeyed just three holes in his first three rounds, never recovered from his collapse at the 10th, finishing the round eight-over par for the day and dropping him to a tie for 15th in the final leaderboard.
The 80-stroke round was the worst by a leader on the final day of The Masters in the 75-year history of the competition.
It was South Africa's Charl Schwartzel who benefited from McIlroy's slip-up, as he carded a round of 66 on the Sunday, his best round of the tournament, handing him the trophy for his only Major win to date.
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It took McIlroy a little time to put the defeat behind him as he failed to make the cut while defending his Quail Hollow title a month later, before struggling at the BMW PGA Championship.
However, he bounced back at the year's second Major, finishing eight shots clear of Australian Jason Day at Congressional to win the US Open, setting the 72-hole record for the event with a 16-under finish, while wins at last year's Open Championship and two USPGA successes leave The Masters as the only Major that McIlroy is yet to win in his career.
Ahead of this year's Masters, the now-world number one described the fourth round in 2011, and what he subsequently learnt from it, as the most important day of his career.
Sian Cowper
