Best of The Herd

It’s a Monday on The Herd, the NBA playoffs are set, but the weekend belonged to Rory McIlroy, who won the Masters with grit and recovery more than perfection.

He missed fairways, blew early birdie looks, briefly lost the lead, then attacked 12 and 13, survived the chaos, and still pulled it off, which is peak Rory—never Tiger’s clampdown, always edge-of-your-seat theater.

Augusta is brutal to close on, and finishes here are almost always tight.

On the NBA, it’s been a rough regular season, so the playoffs need juice; I see two clear title teams in Boston and Oklahoma City, with Denver as the third because Jokic can go right at Wemby, while San Antonio is too young to finish the climb.

Golf purists gripe that Rory skipped the Texas tune-ups, but he optimized by popping into Augusta for targeted reps and flying home to family, and that focus clearly worked.

I didn’t love the three events before the Masters, so I did quick Augusta trips instead of Houston or San Antonio.

Some stars have an aura that pulls you in, and Rory’s got it in a way great technicians like Scheffler or Spieth often don’t; he tied Faldo back-to-back at Augusta and now lives in that Mickelson–Faldo tier, pushing higher.

Tying Nick is cool, and I’m not putting a number on it, but I’m not stopping here.

Rory connects because he shows the whole ride—roars, mistakes, momentum swings—and makes you feel the stakes with every swing.

Colin Right, Colin Wrong, quick hits: star power lifts ratings and Rory supercharged the Masters, Doc in Milwaukee did not land, Boston’s culture held firm through churn, NIL and the portal made college hoops older and better, and two-way roles in the NFL sound fun but teams still want Travis Hunter at corner full-time.

Author Alan Shipnuck is here; in a sport that can read exclusive, Rory comes off as the everyman prodigy who feels it all and lets us in.

Rory carries the burden of genius, and that hug with his parents showed why we care—last year was catharsis, this year was joy, and the emotion is the point.

I called it the recovery championship; how did you see it?

He didn’t have his A-game, managed himself early, then hit gutsy, world-class shots on seven, eight, and a fearless line on 12, and held on late, which proves how complete he’s become.

Did he feel different up close as defending champ?

He was loose in the green jacket early week, then the tension arrived Saturday, but his resilience won the day—three down through six and he still marched past everyone.

Legacy check—Rory or Phil?

Rory’s already ahead with number ones, money titles, global dominance, and the career slam; two more majors could land him top-five all time.

Where does the 18th-hole driver aggression come from?

The driver is his identity, and at Augusta recovery windows exist by design, so with a stroke to spare he knew five was still in play.

When did you last talk to him?

We made peace at Pebble; he said the book made him laugh, and he’s exactly the kind of scandal-free ambassador who could one day join Augusta’s membership.

Thanks, Alan; Rory plus Augusta is must-watch because the course is a character and Rory doesn’t slam the door—he swings it open and turns Sunday into a ride.