'It Was A Nice Touch And A Little Bit Ironic At The Same Time' - Past Champion Makes Heartfelt Gesture To Rory McIlroy Before Masters Victory

It's hard to imagine quite how nervous Rory McIlroy must have been feeling before his final round on Sunday.

"Unbelievably nervous," is what he told reporters afterwards, as he donned his Green Jacket, looking relieved and very much suited to his newest item of clothing.

Whether or not the good luck message he received from Angel Cabrera beforehand helped to settled his nerves, we don't know, but McIlroy described it as a "nice touch".

It was 14 years ago that a fresh-faced McIlroy teed off on the final day with a four-shot lead, only to suffer an agonizing collapse on the back nine.

After shooting a final-round 80, McIlroy finished tied 15th, and he'd been battling with his demons at Augusta National ever since.

Cabrera was in the same group that day, and ended up offering some words of comfort to his shellshocked playing partner on the final green.

"I got to my locker this morning and I opened it up, and there was a note in there from Angel Cabrera, just wishing me luck," revealed the Northern Irishman.

"Angel Cabrera was the player I played with on the final day in 2011, it was a nice touch and a little bit ironic at the same time.

"It's been 14 long years, but thankfully I got the job done."

Cabrera finished seventh that year, and could only watch on with sympathy as a tearful young McIlroy faded under the pressure.

"It's not that I feel sorry for him, because it has happened to many players and it can happen to anyone, it can happen to me, and it's just tough," Cabrera said that day.

"It's a pity what happened to him and I told him when we finished that he's very young and he can win this tournament many times."

Cabrera, who won The Masters in 2009, was back competing at Augusta for the first time since 2019.

He was released from jail in 2023 after serving 30 months behind bars for domestic abuse.

His return to The Masters was a controversial one, but he arrived saying he wanted to "do things right in this second opportunity."

"I'm very grateful and obviously the people of the golf world are very great with me and I just appreciated the way they treated me," the Argentinian said on the eve of the tournament.

Asked what he would say to people that believed he shouldn't be allowed to participate at The Masters, he defended his right to play.

"I respect their opinion and everybody has their own opinion and I respect that," he said.

"Life has given me another opportunity, I got to take advantage of that and I want to do the right things in this second opportunity."

Fred Ridley, Augusta National Chairman, said last year that the club would welcome "one of our great champions" back if Cabrera resolved the visa issues resulting from his conviction.

Cabrera won the PGA Tour Champions' James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational in Boca Raton, Florida in the lead up to this year's Masters.

However, the 55-year-old struggled on his return, and missed the cut after rounds of 75 and 80 (+11).