AUGUSTA: Rory McIlroy`s dramatic win at the Masters on Sunday put an end to the questions that have hounded him every time he set foot on Augusta National over the past 10 years as he finally turned the page on years of frustration.

McIlroy`s roller-coaster round ended with him beating Justin Rose in a one-hole playoff 11 years after his first attempt to achieve the rare feat of capturing all four of golf`s majors.

`I`d like to start this press conference with a question myself, McIlroy said as he entered the interview room donning his new Green Jacket. `What are we all going to talk about next year?` he said with a laugh. `I have dreamt about that moment for as long as I can remember.

That dream threatened to turn into a nightmare when the overnight leader`s two-stroke advantage evaporated with a double bogey on the first.

But whether it was resetting after missing a putt to win or riding some well-earned luck, McIlroy took pride in little details that made hima champion.

The 35-year-old from Northern Ireland the sixth man in history to complete the career grand slam, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods withstood two double bogeys and three bogeys withhelp from four birdies, but there was little margin for error in his victory.

Following back-to-back birdies at the ninth and 10th holes that gave him a four-stroke lead at 14-under, McIlroy found himself in the right trees at 11.

McIlroy blasted his approach just shy of the green, the ball stopping just on the edge of a slope that would have sent it into a water hazard, likely turning his eventual bogey on the hole into a doublebogey or worse.

But disaster struck again when he somehow found the water on 13, and a back-nine collapse reminiscent of his heartbreaking final round at Augusta in 2011 appeared possible.

But history would not repeat itself as his brilliant approach shot in the playoffset up a shortbirdie puttfor the championship, McIlroy falling to his knees on the green as the reality of the moment began to sink in.

`I`ve rode my luck all week,` said McIlroy. `I think with the things that I`ve had to endure over the last few years, I think I deserved it.

Those hard-earned luck storingmoments include three major runner-up showings over the past three years.

`Any time I hit it in the trees this week, I had a gap,` McIlroy said after claiming his fifth major title and becoming the first European men`s player to complete a career grand slam. `You need that little bit of luck to win these golf tournaments.

`There were points in my career where I didn`t know if I would have this nice garment over my shoulders. I certainly didn`t make it easy today. I was nervous. It was one of the toughest days I`ve ever had on the golf course.

He said the double bogey on the first actually helped settle his nerves after a morning where he was so anxious he had difficulty eating.

`It was a heavy weight to carry, and thankfully now I don`t have to carry it and it frees me up,` he said.

The Masters triumph is McIlroy`s first major victory since 2014. He said his belief in himself never wavered as the wait went on.

`You have to be the eternal opti-mist in this game,` he added. `I`ve been saying it until I`m blue in the face. I truly believe I`m a better player now than I was 10 years ago.

McIlroy said he was inspired by Woods` first Masters win in 1997 and the 15-time major champion and fellow career Grand Slam winner congratulated the Northern Irishman on Sunday.

`Welcome to the club,` Woods posted on social media. `Completing the Grand Slam at Augusta is something special. Your determination during this round, and this entire journey has shown through, and now you`re a part of history. Proud of you! Six-times Masters champion Nicklaus phoned the CBS post-Masters telecast after McIlroy beat Rose.

`I`m so happy for him. I`m delighted for him,` Nicklaus said.

`It`ll take the world off his shoulders and you`re now going to see a lot more of really good golf out of Rory McIlroy.

Rose tried his best to spoil McIlroy`s bid for golf immortality, drilling a sensational 20-foot birdieputt on 18 that ultimately set up a playoff, and while he was disappointed not to win the Green Jacket he said he could not help but be happy for his friend and the sport itself.

`To make the putt on 18, the one you dream about as a kid, and give myself an opportunity was an unbelievable feeling,` Rose said.

`Obviously I wanted to be the bad guy today but still, it`s a momentous occasion for the game of golf.

`When it was all said and done, I said to him I was glad I was here on this green to witness you win the career Grand Slam.

It was the second time that Rose has fallen in a playoff at Augusta, where he lost to Sergio Garcia in 2017.

`Yeah, it hurts,` admitted Rose, who captured his only major title at the US Open in 2013 but was runner-up at The Open Championship at Troon last year after qualifying to get into the field.

`Definitely I`m proud of myself, Rose said after posting a six-under final round of 66. `I played great golf today.`-Agencies