RORY McIlroy created golfing history with his win at the 2025 US Masters, the Irishman becoming just the sixth player to complete the golfing Grand Slam.
In adding a Masters title to his already impressive resume, McIlroy has now won all four of golf’s major championships, joining an illustrious group which includes Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen and Gary Player.
On an exciting Sunday at Augusta, the pressure on McIlroy to claim a green jacket to go with his US Open victory of 2011, his two PGA Championship titles (2012 and 2014) and his Open Championship triumph at Hoylake in 2014, was evident for all to see.
A double bogey on the par four opening hole was a setback, McIlroy giving up the lead to Bryson DeChambeau by the second hole, before bouncing back and retaking the top spot with birdies on three and four.
Further birdies on nine and 10 and all signs pointed to a back nine victory march, however an amazing back nine surge by Justin Rose, coupled with an ugly double bogey seven from McIlroy on 13, set up a tense finish.
McIlroy put himself in the driver’s seat with a stunning shot in making a birdie on the 15th and then with a remarkable three on 17, before he misssed the 18th green with his wedge approach. McIlroy would splash out of the bunker to six feet, but adding to the drama the golfing world winced when the putt for the win was low and left.
With Rose closing with a sizzling 66, tying McIlroy on 11-under, the pair returned to 18 to decide a winner.
Again, when many thought nerves and the expectation could combine to get the better of him, McIlroy responded, this time his gap wedge from 115 metres spun back down the slope to within a metre of the hole. When Rose’s three-metre birdie attempt slid by, McIlroy nervously dribbled his putt into the hole to claim his first green jacket.
The win came 10 years and eight months after his previous major championship success and as expressed by lead TV analyst Jim Nance when the winning putt fell into the hole, ‘McIlroy completes a masterpiece’.
US Masters notes
• The McIlroy-Rose playoff was the 18th in Masters history
• Justin Rose joined Ben Hogan (1942, 1954) as the only player to lose two playoffs at the US Masters. Sergio Garcia defeated Rose on the first playoff hole in 2017.
• While his first Masters Tournament victory, it was McIlroy’s fifth major championship and 29th PGA TOUR title, coming in his 263rd PGA TOUR start aged 35 years, 11 months, 9 days
• A fifth major championship victory has McIlroy tied with Seve Ballesteros, James Braid, Brooks Koepka, Byron Nelson, J. Taylor and Peter Thomson for 15th all-time
• It was McIlroy’s 17th Masters appearance, marking the second-most attempts to earn a first Masters title. Sergio Garcia won the 2017 Masters in 19th start
• Joins Nick Faldo (1990) as only players to win the Masters with double bogey or worse on first hole of final round
• First player from Northern Ireland to win the Masters; 13th different country with at least one Masters champion
• World number one Scottie Scheffler (tied 4th) records fourth consecutive top-10 finish at the Masters (Won/2024, T10/2023, Won/2022)
Aussies at Augusta
In and around the leading group for most of the week, Jason Day put up a spirited performance at the US Masters, scores of 70-70-71-72 for a five-under par total seeing him finish in a tie for eighth.
Day was certainly the shining light, with Min Woo Lee the only other Australian amongst the five-strong contingent to make the 36-hole cut.
Lee began the week with a one-under 71, before following up with scores of 72-77 and 74 to finish in 49th at four-over.
Cameron Smith and former Masters champ Adam Scott were three shots outside the cut line at five-over, while Cam Davis returned rounds of 74-79 to be nine-over for the first 36-holes.
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