At least a few observers likened Rory McIlroy’s 17-year-long Masters title chase to the fictional Captain Ahob’s revenge-driven pursuit of a whale dubbed Moby Dick. Trouble with that analogy is Ahob’s hunt did not end well. In the climactic moments, the captain got tangled up in his own harpoon line, and the whale dragged him to his death. McIlroy’s expedition, on the other hand, ended in much cheerier fashion, with Scottie Scheffler slipping the green jacket on to McIlroy’s shoulders. Hurrah? Yes, of course! But there was also a downside to McIlroy’s long-awaited win: the sudden dearth of motivation he felt now that he had finally slayed his proverbial whale. McIlroy said he had spent years...
