Masters of Men

In April 1956 and in April 2011, Ken Venturi and Rory McIlroy each carried commanding leads of four shots into the final day of the US Masters at Augusta National. The green jacket was theirs for the taking, but in their final rounds, both men self-destructed, each shooting 80 over their final 18 holes. For each player the collapse was complete and damning. Remarkably, after their shattering losses at Augusta, both men found salvation in the US Open at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda. Liam Hayes brilliantly pits the incredible struggles and victories of perhaps the single most naturally talented golfer from the 1950s and '60s against the most naturally talented golfer of today. Masters of Men uniquely, and dramatically, brings Venturi and McIlroy together in time, teeing off side by side, walking the same fairways, and facing the greatest challenges of their golfing lives. Over 50 years apart, Venturi and McIlroy experienced extremes of fortune, losing and winning on a scale seldom witnessed in sport. This is their