Rory’s Green Jacket and My Moment on the Couch

This past weekend, Rory McIlroy finally won the Masters.

He did it.

After 11 long years since his last major victory… after heartbreak, pressure, public scrutiny, after filing for divorce and then choosing reconciliation, he came back, steadied himself, and completed the career Grand Slam. He joined the ranks of golf’s greatest legends, but not without a fight.

If you watched, you know. It wasn’t a flawless win. He made four double bogeys, more than any Masters champion before him. He stumbled, especially at the infamous 13th. And then he found himself in a sudden-death playoff against Justin Rose.

And just before heading into that playoff, Rory paused. He stopped in the middle of all that pressure, walked over, and hugged his wife, Erica, and their daughter, Poppy. It was calm, grounded, intimate. Like he needed to remember who he was playing for. Then he stepped up, birdied the first playoff hole, and won. Joyfully, emotionally, and yes, again, he embraced them. It was a family victory, a full-circle moment.

And as I sat on the couch, next to my husband, with our son sitting in between us watching , I just… took it in. It was a beautiful spring day. We were finally in our new home. The sunlight was pouring through the windows, and even though the day hadn’t been easy, because let’s be real, life with a toddler rarely is… that moment was perfect.

It reminded me why I started this blog in the first place. Because golf, marriage, parenting, they’re never really about perfection. They’re about showing up. About letting yourself double bogey and still believe you’re in it. About holding onto the people you love when the pressure builds. About celebrating the wins, even the little ones.

So whether you’re chasing a dream, managing meltdowns, or just trying to soak in five uninterrupted minutes on a Sunday afternoon, here’s to the joy, the grit, and the grace of doing it fore ever after.