From April 10 to 13, the best golfers from around the world gathered at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, for the 2025 Masters Tournament. Over the course of four days, a field consisting of 95 players would drive, pitch and putt to see who would win and receive the coveted green jacket. The slogan of The Masters is “a tradition unlike any other,” and this year, it lived up to the hype as Rory McIlroy outplayed Justin Rose on a playoff hole to win his first Masters.
The win was a career-defining moment for McIlroy, as he achieved a feat only ever accomplished by five other golfers: a career grand slam. McIlroy’s victory at Augusta National puts him among a select group of golfers to ever win the four biggest tournaments on the PGA Tour: The PGA Championship, The U.S. Open, The Open Championship and The Masters. McIlroy will be in the same conversations as legends Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods for years to come.
It was not an easy path for McIlroy. He turned pro in 2007 at age 18 while holding the position as the top-ranked amateur in the world. He earned enough prize money that year to secure his 2008 European Tour card, becoming the youngest and fastest golfer ever to do so. He then debuted on the PGA Tour in 2010 and quickly rose to the top of the rankings. Soon after, he won the 2011 U.S. Open by a commanding eight strokes. Then, in 2012, he won his second major at the PGA Championship, again by eight strokes. About two years later, in 2014, he won his third of four required majors with a close win at the Open Championship. Although he would win the PGA Championship again in 2014, a win at The Masters always eluded him.
Until now.
On his 11th attempt to complete the career grand slam, after years of struggles, years of missed opportunities, blown leads and missed putts, McIlroy finished the job. That is not to say it wasn’t an incredibly stressful tournament. McIlroy repeatedly gave his opponents chances to steal the win but always, somehow, managed to right the ship before it was too late. On day one, he opened with a 72, even par. The leader, Rose, shot 65. Trailing by seven strokes, McIlroy turned in two rounds of 66 — six under par — on days two and three. Going into Sunday, he held a two-shot lead over Bryson Dechambeau as a tough day from Rose left him at five under par and tied for sixth.
Sunday at The Masters is when champions are made, but McIlroy did not seem to be on his game to start. On number one, he double-bogeyed, dropping him down to 10 under par. It hurt to watch. Fans of McIlroy had seen it all too many times, and a lead going into the final round was blown. Luckily, McIlroy would not be discouraged. He quickly got back to even on the day with birdies at numbers three and four. Another birdie at nine would set him up with the lead going into the second nine. But McIlroy never makes it easy for himself, and another double-bogey, his fourth of the tournament, followed by another bogey, would set him back yet again.
With the field closer than ever, McIlroy needed to do something incredible, and he delivered. On hole 15, he hit a 208-yard shot, settling it on the green within six feet of the pin. He sank the putt, allowing him to secure a birdie and regain a one-shot lead. Another birdie on 17 seemed to be the cherry on top of his Masters moment, but there was one more twist: Rose had come storming back. Rose drained a 20-foot birdie putt on number 18 to put him one shot behind McIlroy. Then, an errant iron shot by McIlroy put him in a bad position on 18. He was able to scramble onto the green and give himself a makeable putt for par and the win. But, in typical McIlroy fashion, he missed it.
Mercifully, they staggered to the playoff hole. Both players hit great drives. Rose hit his approach shot to about 15 feet, but McIlroy would not be beaten as he hit a beautiful shot to roughly three feet. Rose missed his birdie putt, and McIlroy sank his.
Happiness and relief. McIlroy, a usually quiet presence, let out 11 years worth of pent-up frustration and fell to his knees a grand slam winner. It is truly a tradition unlike any other.
