Rory McIlroy, it's finally time to slip inside a Green Jacket. Of course, to break a decade-long drought in major championships by winning The Masters for the first time in his storied career, it didn't go as smoothly as we all thought it could.
The four-time major champion playing in The Masters for the 17th time in his career came into the final round with a two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau in the final group. He immediately gave that away and actually watched his playing partner take the lead after an opening double bogey. But McIlroy then righted the ship, making birdies on No. 3, 4, 9 and 10 to take a commanding lead in the tournament as DeChambeau faded.
He didn't run away with it, though, and it was his own fault. After choosing to lay up on the Par 5 13th hole, he ostensibly shanked a nippy wedge into the water, making double bogey as Justin Rose made birdie on the 16th hole to create a tie for the lead at 11-under. It was then neck-and-neck with palpable drama to the finish line.
That's when Rory hit the shot of his life, and the one that we thought we would remember as the shot that finally won him The Masters. McIlroy, tied with Rose for the lead after he birdied the 18th hole, whipped his approach into the 17th green and it was a dot to set up a relatively easy go-ahead birdie.
Rory McIlroy hits it to two feet on No. 17. #themasters pic.twitter.com/zY6tdgqZ13
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2025
Never too easy, he made sure to put his approach on the 72nd hole of The Masters in the greenside bunker and failed to get up and down, forcing a playoff with Rose.
After a blistering drive into perfect position and with Rose sitting with a 15-footer for biride, McIlroy found his moxie with a brilliant approach — from the same number that he put it in the bunker with in regulation — to set up a two-footer for birdie and put all the pressure on Rose.
The cinema of the 73rd hole. #themasters pic.twitter.com/wJgncWWhOr
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2025
When Rose missed his putt, that allowed McIlroy to put in the two-foot birdie putt and, at long last, get ready to slip a Green Jacket around his shoulders.
Rory McIlroy wins The Masters, completes the career grand slam
Winning The Masters is historic just about any way you slice it for McIlroy. With the victory, he becomes the sixth player in modern golf history to complete the career grand slam, joining Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen.
As mentioned, he also breaks a drought in major championships, having last won on this stage back in 2014 at the PGA Championship played at Valhalla, which was 10 years and eight months from the 2025 Masters Tournament.
More importantly, though, this feels like the turning point for McIlroy in every single capacity. It felt like there was a monkey on his back he couldn't shake over the last decade despite remaining one of the world's best players year-in and year-out. It felt like he couldn't get over some hump that was in his way.
He's over that hump now, though. Rory McIlroy is a Masters champion, and there might be no stopping him now after this.