Rory McIlroy finally claimed victory at the Masters, completing his career grand slam after years of effort and heartbreak.
Since his 2014 win at The Open at Royal Liverpool, Rory McIlroy set his sights on a green jacket. Finally, after his 11th attempt at completing the career grand slam, McIlroy is a champion at Augusta National. The countless heartbreaking defeats he suffered while tackling this feat no longer hang over him. Everyone who deciphered that McIlroy would never hold a trophy at Augusta watched in awe of the greatness that ensued.
This year’s field for the Masters’ tournament included all the stars, including last year’s champion, Scottie Scheffler. With every participant determined to play their best at the Masters, McIlroy was forced to take that leap to the next level. At a seven-to-one favorite to win behind Scheffler, expectations for McIlroy were high as always going into Augusta. After what happened in 2011 at the Masters, fans were rightfully skeptical of McIlroy’s ability to hold onto a lead. This incident is famously remembered by McIlroy’s horrific round on Sunday with a four-shot lead, which placed him at T-15 at the end of the tournament. Having two wins on the year leading up to the Masters, McIlroy was eager for a shot at golf immortality.
Road to the Weekend
Even with The Masters’ small field size, the challenge of cutting is frustrating and scrutinizing. Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, GA, features a layout that members and professionals struggle mightily with. From the complexity of the greens to the firm and sloping fairways, Augusta National is not very forgiving. Every shot counts at the Masters, which is why professionals tend to take precautionary steps to attack this golf course.
Masters champion in 2022 and 2024, Scottie Scheffler, looked towards Augusta, hoping to win his third green jacket in four years. Other players in the field, like Bryson DeChambeau and Colin Morikawa, focused on taking home a trophy after being so close in recent years. The Masters Tournament has seen peculiar winners over the years, and with many professionals playing great golf, fans struggled deciding on a winner. Many incredible storylines, including Angel Cabrera, a former Masters winner returning from a 30-month prison sentence, built up the hype leading up to Thursday.
On Thursday, 44-year-old Justin Rose stole the show, finishing first after a seven-under round of 65. Scottie Scheffler felt at home, beginning with a four-under round of 68. Even 65-year-old Masters champion, Fred Couples, found himself under par on Thursday, making an eagle on the par-four 14th. After a disappointing ending to Thursday’s round, Rory McIlroy came back on Friday with a six-under round of 66. Bryson Dechambeu managed to cut Justin Rose’s lead to one going into the weekend, firing a 68 to hold second place. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler went into the weekend tied for fourth, behind McIlroy, DeChambeau, and the leader, Rose.
Excitement Builds
The beauty of major tournaments is that no lead is safe. Rory McIlroy began to heat up on Saturday, showing off his incredible poise and determination to win. However, Bryson Dechambau showed no signs of letting up, as he went two-under for his last three holes on Saturday to cut McIlroy’s lead to two. The Canadian veteran, Corey Conners, also showed some fight, playing very consistent golf and coming in at third on Saturday. McIlroy showed flashes of pure domination, especially with his second shot onto the par-five 15th, which he put close to make eagle. McIlroy and DeChambeau, two guys who have historically not gotten along, were paired in the final group for Sunday.
Sunday at the Masters is as indescribable as any sporting event could be. Any possibility can occur, like players surrendering a lead, that will develop any kind of story. The story of Sunday was between Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy, who both fought hard until the very end. McIlroy played the first nine holes beautifully, giving fans heaping levels of excitement for him to finish the job. Then, McIlroy began to spiral out of control, shooting three-over on the final nine holes with a sickening double-bogey on 13. Justin Rose was seven shots back of McIlroy going into the final nine, and ended up making an electric birdie on 18 to force McIlroy’s hand. With a one-shot lead at 18, McIlroy made bogey to force a playoff to determine the Masters champion.
To Win it All
McIlroy and Rose made their way back to the 18th tee to begin the playoff that would determine the winner. The pressure mounted on McIlroy’s shoulders was immense, and he surely felt it standing over his tee shot. Unfazed, McIlroy sent his drive with great speed right down the middle of the fairway, setting up an easy second shot. Rose followed McIlroy, finding the fairway as well for a good look at the green. Rose’s second shot found the green, giving him a 15-20 foot putt for birdie. With pressure mounting, McIlroy had to hit a gap wedge, which he hit into the bunker before making bogey on the 18th. McIlroy flushed it, launching it into the air and landing it on the slope, which took it towards the hole to about four feet.
The crowd went ballistic. Rory McIlroy had four feet to immortalize himself and make history. As both men made their way to the green, the ovation was deafening as patrons recognized the incredible performance being put on. Rose’s putt missed on the low side by breaking right off the slope, opening the door for McIlroy. Swarmed by unnerving silence, Rory McIlroy lined up his putt and dropped it in through the left-center of the cup. The roar from the crowd added to the moment that will not be forgotten for McIlroy.
He did it. The days of chasing a green jacket are over, as McIlroy poured out his emotions on the 18th green. Describing how it felt when the final putt dropped, McIlroy quoted, “It was all relief. There wasn’t much joy in that reaction. It was all relief.”
Growing the Game
Social media was flooded with praise from golf superstars and unlikely fans alike. Even the most impactful celebrities shared their thoughts on the finish, showing how impactful the Masters Tournament is. Twitter posts from golf legends like Gary Player, Phil Mickelson, and Tiger Woods showered in to congratulate McIlroy on this feat. Even engagement from broadcaster and author, Piers Morgan, broke through to give Rory his props.
On Sunday, the Masters broadcast averaged 12.7 million viewers, marking a 33% increase from last year’s final round. Drama draws attention, and not even the 2019 Masters, featuring 43-year-old Tiger Woods coming back to win, saw the kinds of numbers from the 2025 Masters. Sunday’s final round peaked at 19.5 million viewers, the most since 2018, during the playoff hole between Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose. This figure surpassed CBS’s average viewership for its NFL broadcasts from the 2024 season. Along with CBS, U.K. broadcast station Sky Sports hit a record peak of 1.7 million viewers, achieving a new high for golf broadcasts. No other golf event in the world could bring this many viewers in to witness a golf tournament, proving that the Masters is vital to the growth of professional golf. McIlroy’s victory not only made history, but it also rekindled interest in the game.
