In a final round full of incredible plot twists that ended up deciding the Masters in a playoff, Rory McIlroy has finally achieved his long-awaited victory in Augusta, completing the Grand Slam. The Northern Irishman had a putt for par on the 72nd hole that would have secured the Green Jacket, but he missed it and had to play it out in the playoff against Justin Rose. There, he showcased all his magic with a historic approach that ultimately gave him the title.
His celebration will also be remembered, with a mix of emotion, anger, and happiness. On his way to the Clubhouse, he was congratulated by dozens of family members, friends, and fellow professionals, such as Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood. Later, in Butler Cabin, the chairman of the Augusta National, Fred Ridley, welcomed him to talk about this 89th edition of the Masters that will forever remain legendary.
Soak it in. #themasters pic.twitter.com/xKVyCGuAh7
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2025
“This is an incredible feeling. This is my 17th time here, and I was starting to wonder if my moment would ever come. I think I’ve spent the last ten years coming here with the pressure of the Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve it… Yes, now I wonder what we’re all going to talk about for next year’s Masters. But I feel absolutely honoured, thrilled, and very proud to call myself a Masters champion,” Rory began.
Regarding the delicate moments experienced today, he said: “When I hit the wedge shot into the creek on the 13th hole, I think I did a great job recovering and also from the double bogey on the 1st hole. But I was really nervous at the start. It was almost as if that double bogey on the 1st calmed my nerves a bit and got me into the round in a curious way. I think, throughout the week, the way I responded to setbacks is what I’ll take away from this experience. I couldn’t be prouder of myself for that and for knowing how to bounce back when I needed to.”
Gratitude to his family. Advice from a champion. #themasters pic.twitter.com/jYBe6ryMXH
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2025
In the end, he managed to win in his own way, with a tremendous shot in the playoff when Rose was pressing him and seemed to be in the most critical situation of the entire week: “Yes, I think I had two yards less in the playoff than in regulation. Also, it was a slightly flatter position, so I knew I had a perfect three-quarter gap wedge; it was going to land on the slope and come back. It was a good number. I just needed to make a good, committed swing, and I did it at the right moment.”
Rory celebrated his victory at the Masters in grand style, and rightly so: “Yes, I think… I would say it was fourteen years in the making, since that time in 2011 when I went out with a four-shot lead and felt I could do it. Yes, there were a lot of pent-up emotions that just came out on that 18th green. A moment like this makes all the years and all the times I came close worth it. I want to send a shoutout to my mum and dad. They’re at home in Northern Ireland.”
The Northern Irishman remembered his parents, who made many sacrifices for him to fulfil his dream: “That’s right. And I’m looking forward to seeing them next week. I can’t wait to celebrate this with them. Today, for now, he receives the Green Jacket from another great champion like the World Number One, Scottie Scheffler, completes the Grand Slam, wins another major more than a decade later, and fulfils a childhood dream. The big day for Rory McIlroy.
