Rory McIlroy urged wife Erica Stoll to ‘punch’ him over Masters problem
Golf icon Rory McIlroy jokingly told his wife, Erica Stoll, to “punch” him if he ever complained about wearing his first-ever green jacket.
Last April, McIlroy barely beat Justin Rose in a sudden-death playoff at Hole 18 of Augusta National to claim victory in his 11th try at completing the career Grand Slam — an achievement that only Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have managed in the Masters era.
In the months following the major career achievement, golf enthusiasts from around the globe have naturally requested to see McIlroy’s Green Jacket — though the Northern Irishman isn’t always eager to slip on the coveted prize.
“I was in India a few weeks ago and I was in the Middle East the last two weeks and most places you go, if you’re doing events, the people want to see the green jacket,” McIlroy shared while speaking on CNBC’s CEO Council Forum.
“So you bring the green jacket with you, and sometimes, you don’t want to wear it, you know. You don’t want to.”
After realizing he was grumbling about the hard-to-get memento he’d chased throughout his career, McIlroy made an unusual request to Erica.
“I sort of complained about wearing it in Abu Dhabi. And I said to my wife, ‘Erica, if you ever hear me complain about wearing this thing again, like punch me or do something,'” he said.
“‘Because I’ve waited my whole life to wear this, and I’m complaining about wearing it.'” McIlroy faced a series of challenges on his journey to securing the green jacket, including a late “inexcusable” collapse on Day 1 and a missed putt on the final hole of the last round that could have forced a playoff.
After sinking the tournament-winning putt in sudden death, McIlroy couldn’t hold back the emotions that had been building throughout the tumultuous weekend. The 36 year old immediately fell to his knees and yelled towards the sky, clearly relieved to finally conquer the Masters.
Reflecting on the memorable moment, McIlroy admitted that he still finds it hard to hold back tears. “If I watch that final scene on the 18th green and I drop to my knees, it’s still hard for me not to cry,” he confessed.
“Whatever it is, eight or nine months on, it’s just so hard for me not to feel those emotions again.
“But if you want something for so long and so badly, and you end up doing it, you dream about doing it, but you don’t dream about what comes next.
“Honestly, like I’ve dreamt about that moment for so long, and it lived up to everything I thought it would be, and more.”
