A concoction of sweaty bodies and long-lens cameras was deadlocked in the upper left-hand corner of the No. 15 grandstand at Augusta National as Rory McIlroy’s 7-foot eagle putt slid underneath the cup.

The Mount Rushmore of golf now has six faces carved into granite, and for that Rory McIlroy should feel as though he achieved the highest pinnacle in golf. But there is so much more ahead for McIlroy.

McIlroy's illustrious career has featured plenty of success, but reaching ultimate glory was only going to come through a level of agony