Rory McIlroy threw the golf world on a rollercoaster and then cranked the speed up to ludicrous. At the end of it all, breathless and teary-eyed, he was The Masters champion. Finally!
McIlroy is now the first European to ever complete the career Grand Slam. And, fittingly, he tied the biggest first round deficit for a winner of The Masters and became the first golfer to win it with four or more double bogeys.
The journey McIlroy took to this triumph is best experienced by living through the fans on social media who were absolutely losing their minds throughout.
Rory McIlroy fans saw it coming from a mile away...
Even before Sunday got underway, McIlroy fans were bracing for drama.
Watching Rory McIlroy rip the course apart to move into the lead in The Masters, waiting for the inevitable shitting of the bed before tomorrow nights end pic.twitter.com/8MUbQtb0R8
— The Life Of Brian (@DaytrippingRed) April 12, 2025
And they were right to worry...
McIlroy's day got off to a horrible start. He double-bogeyed on 1 and spent the rest of the front 9 clawing his way back.
Rory: “I plan to stay in my own little world out there”
— Used Golf FACTS (@UsedGolfFacts) April 13, 2025
Rory’s little world: pic.twitter.com/2HPPfPuavS
The tension was palpable for Rory and just about everyone at Augusta and online.
Rory Mcilroy strategy:
— Jacob W (@Jacoby_27) April 13, 2025
Choke Immediately instead of at the End and maybe it will hurt less. pic.twitter.com/o5OUcOVE60
all of golf watching Rory https://t.co/DXHFygE1S5 pic.twitter.com/PPNElHhhUd
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) April 13, 2025
Despite the rough start, McIlroy had a comfortable lead four-shot lead going to the back 9.
The Masters had many more ups and downs in store...
If you turned off the TV and assumed that he'd close things out in comfortable fashion, you don't know Rory. His fourth double bogey of the weekend at 13 had everyone biting their fingers. A bogey on 14 sent the golf world into a panic.
"Rory should quietly close this one out now. All good. Smooth sailing." pic.twitter.com/V5X28IisoL
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) April 13, 2025
Alright Rory just gotta play safe from here…
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) April 13, 2025
Rory: “I think I wanna try base jumping.”
For a few holes there, McIlroy and his fans were in a dark place. Fans of Happy Gilmore will get this one:
Rory trying to go to his happy place
— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) April 13, 2025
pic.twitter.com/gb9t1cSTBR
Fans of Rory will get these ones:
Being a Rory Mcilroy fan is like staking your own happiness in whether or not THIS will be the time that Sisyphus finally gets the rock up the hill
— Tanner Coerr (@scorebug) April 13, 2025
Hi is that my boss? Yes I don’t think I’m going to be able to come into work today. Why? Well I’m suffering with being a Rory McIlroy fan & I don’t want anyone to catch it! 😭
— The Racing Armchair (@RacingArmchair) April 13, 2025
McIlroy let Justin Rose and Ludvig Åberg catch up as he came up to No. 15...
And then Rory hit The Shot
Presented without comment:
Poised to make eagle. Rory McIlroy goes for glory on No. 15. #themasters pic.twitter.com/hAM0zxnkM7
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2025
This about sums it up:
There’s the shot we’ll remember Rory by for his career
— Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) April 13, 2025
Rory McIlroy has always made the impossible shots look easy and, sometimes, the easy shots look impossible. But this is taking it to another level
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) April 13, 2025
Well if Rory wins, we’ll be rewatching that shot for a lifetime.
— 100T Nadeshot (@Nadeshot) April 13, 2025
The "if Rory wins" loomed large. Still, he followed that up with a gorgeous shot on 17 to set up a putt for birdie.
Rory McIlroy hits it to two feet on No. 17. #themasters pic.twitter.com/zY6tdgqZ13
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2025
All that was left was to take care of business. Nothing special, just finish.
Does the Green Jacket come with an oxygen mask attached? One par away from greatness
— Tom English (@TEnglishSport) April 13, 2025
Par on 18 for his first Green Jacket, his 5th major, and the career grand slam.
— Rory McIlroy Tracker (@RMTracker) April 13, 2025
There McIlroy was, facing one five-foot putt for glory...
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand, he missed the putt!
RORY. NO.#TheMasters | #TheMasters2025 pic.twitter.com/GBOxIpEj6G
— Dylan H. Robillard (@HendrixHockey_) April 13, 2025
Rory noooo
— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) April 13, 2025
Rory Noooooo
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) April 13, 2025
RORY NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
— SG Reet (@Reetlol) April 13, 2025
Rory, NO, NO, NO
— Mark Rosen (@KFANRosen) April 13, 2025
— Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) April 13, 2025
This man has won and lost the Masters six times today.
— Avinash Kunnath (@avinashkunnath) April 13, 2025
The miss forced a playoff with Justin Rose. After Rose just missed a long putt for birdie, McIlroy again just needed a short putt for glory...
A long time coming. Congratulations, Rory. #themasters pic.twitter.com/f72nOxQbfw
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2025
And this time he did it, much to the delight of his fans and respect from his haters:
Got to watch Rory win and lose the Grand Slam like 5 different times.. but he did it pic.twitter.com/nvAOfG7zGF
— Nick Perkins (@NickyPerkss) April 13, 2025
Those moments like what McIlroy just had, success directly in the face of previous failures, the massive release of emotion after conquering his demons, is the absolute peak of sports. Congrats to Rory!
— Jason Timpf (@_JasonLT) April 13, 2025
Tremendous stuff!!!! Rory!!!! Didn’t think he could do it. The bogey on 18 seemed too crushing. That’s one of the 5 best Masters of my lifetime.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) April 13, 2025
Rory McIlroy is just the sixth golfer in history to complete the career grand slam.
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) April 13, 2025
It took the other five golfers three attempts (at most) to win the final major.
It took Rory eleven attempts at the Masters, but the mission is now complete.
That's history.
Rory having a bad day where he could have fallen apart a million different times makes the win so much better
— matt (@sponhourm) April 13, 2025
As a hater sometimes you gotta tip your cap.
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) April 13, 2025
Rory earned that one. Exercised all his demons. Choked and choked and kept on bouncing back and hitting big shots. Grand Slam for Rory. pic.twitter.com/Gc6vIXr7LR
Congrats, but Rory should apologize for putting us all through that.
— deepfriedegg (@deep_fried_egg) April 13, 2025
The Rory McIlroy experience summed up in one NSFW meme
It was in the bag and then it wasn't. And then it was again. The ups and downs, the agony and ecstasy, it all led to a Green Jacket.
Rory. McIlroy. pic.twitter.com/clDqdrgDKY
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) April 13, 2025
And hey, if McIlroy can overcome his demons, others can too!
If Rory can win the Masters after choking several times, the Bills definitely have what it takes to win the Super Bowl!
— Mike Bundt (@Mike_Bundt) April 13, 2025
If Rory can do it, the Leafs can do it
— 3rd Intermission Pod (@Toronto3rd) April 13, 2025
If Rory can do it then DEM BLADES can win playoffs ⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️ COYRWW
— Tommo (@FPL_Blade) April 13, 2025
We all deserve a day off after living through that. The wild swing of emotions and enormous tension was too much to bear at times. Honestly, it's a wonder McIlroy could walk when it was all over.
Then again, when you're walking towards a green jacket, you've got to be floating on air.