Masters of Men: Rory McIlroy, Ken Venturi. and Their Epic Journey from Augusta to Bethesda

This is the story of one journey taken, over half a century apart, by two outstanding golfers. More than a golf book, it is the story of two young men and the people who filled their lives: the mentor who dominated Ken Venturi, the agent who loomed too large over Rory McIlroy, and the two young girls who became their first loves and lost their men as they became champions. It pits the incredible struggles and victories of Ken Venturi, perhaps the single most naturally talented golfer from the 1950s and 1960s, against Rory McIlroy, the game’s most naturally talented golfer of today. Putting them on the same tee boxes, on the same greens, on the same day, Masters of Men uniquely and dramatically brings together for two days, two remarkable golfers from two different ages in golf on the final day of their greatest failure, and the final day of their most remarkable triumph. It weaves in elements of cultural and social history; examines the birth of two of the greatest golf courses in the United States, Augusta National and Congressional CC; and examines the journey undertaken by the game of golf and its greatest players from generations past. It is an extraordinary story and one that will appeal to both golf fans and the wider sport-reading public.

Liam Hayes is an award-winning sports writer and the bestselling author of Out of Our Skins. He is a former newspaper editor for Ireland on Sunday, a sports columnist with the Irish Daily Mail, and a noted celebrity guest on sports programming and current affairs shows on Irish TV.