Rory McIlroy cards record-tying Sunday 64 in runner-up at Augusta National

Rory McIlroy finished solo second at the Masters Tournament on Sunday, falling just short of a Green Jacket in his eighth attempt to complete the career Grand Slam at Augusta National.

During his post-round interview in Butler Cabin, though, the four-time major championship winner expressed that he departed the 18th green feeling “as happy as I’ve ever been on a golf course right there.”

The reason? McIlroy concluded his final round at the 86th Masters with a bunker hole-out for birdie on the 72nd hole, completing an 8-under 64 that marked the low round of the tournament by three strokes.

McIlroy began the final round 10 strokes back of 54-hole leader Scottie Scheffler, and he eventually finished three shy of Scheffler’s winning mark of 10-under.

With an effort that matched the low final round in Masters history, though, McIlroy rekindled the magic displayed at major championships in the early 2010s, when he captured four major titles in a 15-major span.

The 32-year-old last won a major at the 2014 PGA Championship; in his eight Masters appearances since, he has recorded six top-10 finishes, including his career-best runner-up on Sunday.

The 20-time PGA TOUR winner has displayed a penchant for going low on Masters Sunday. This marked his seventh sub-70 score in his last nine Sunday rounds at Augusta National.

“I just think all the memories that are building up … I think I’ve had some really good Sundays here from a little further back, and it is about trying to channel whatever attitude that is,” McIlroy said. “The 66 that I shot with Tiger (Woods) in the final round in 2015; I’ve had a few other rounds where I haven’t been in contention and have shot good scores.

“I think the more and more I can do it, the more memories I build up, and if I do put myself in a position closer to the lead into Sunday, I can delve into that memory bank and try to use those memories and my experience to my advantage.”

There was magic Sunday in McIlroy’s final-round pairing with Collin Morikawa. The duo carded a best-ball 61, and Morikawa followed McIlroy’s closing bunker hole-out by doing the exact same thing.

McIlroy raised his hands after Morikawa’s bunker birdie as if he had made it himself.

“That’s what makes golf so cool,” McIlroy said. “We’re competitors out there, but at the same time we’re friends, and we travel around with each other every week. It was a great pairing for me today, and happy that we both played well.”