McIlroy’s emotional Masters win completes career Grand Slam after 11-year wait

It needed 11 years and a playoff before Rory McIlroy could finally claim to be a grand slam winner. At Augusta National Golf Club on April 13, the Northern Ireland golfer sank to his knees more in relief than elation when his title-winning putt at the 2025 Masters dropped to leave England’s Justin Rose a brave runner-up to the best player of the modern era. 

There will be other claimants to the label but the grit and unflinching determination McIlroy displayed in his quest for the grand slam puts him in a class above most others.  

The 35-year-old won his last major at the 2014 PGA Championship, and the 11 years since have seen him come close but fall agonisingly short including at last year’s US Open when he caved in under pressure from eventual winner Bryson DeChambeau. 

The victory also put McIlroy into golf’s most exclusive club, winners of the career grand slam, where he joined Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and good friend Tiger Woods as its sixth member. His win at Augusta to complete the grand slam came 90 years after Sarazen did so at the Masters in 1935, 60 years after Player completed the set at the 1965 US Open and 25 years after Tige Woods’ victory at the 2000 Open. 

McIlroy (72-66-66-73) fought off a series of challenges though his final round on April 13, first from DeChambeau and then Rose (65-71-75-66). The Northern Irishman made a rocky start to see his overnight two-shot lead over DeChambeau evaporate on the very first hole which he double-bogeyed. He though fought back brilliantly with four birdies to seemingly take control of the tournament again. 

It was far from over as McIlroy then dropped. He then nervously dropped four shots over the next four holes, including a double on the par-5 13th hole before fighting back once again with two wonderful birdies on the 15th and 17th holes. 

With a one-shot lead, this time over Rose on the final regulation hole of the Masters, McIlroy had a 5-foot par putt for the win but missed. Both finished on 11 under par 277, two shots ahead of Patrick Reed (71-70-69-69, 9 under 279) and three in front of world number one and defending champion Scottie Scheffler (68-71-72-69, 8 under 280). 

A precise wedge approach to four feet and a birdie putt on the first extra hole against Rose, however, was good enough to seal the long-awaited victory after Rose, who had charged into contention with a 66, agonisingly missed his own birdie chance earlier from 16 feet. 

“Just a complete roller coaster of emotions today,” the exhausted but elated McIlroy said later. “What came out of me on the last green there in the playoff was at least 11 years, if not 14 years, of pent-up emotion."  

"It's a dream come true. I have dreamt about that moment for as long as I can remember. There were points in my career where I didn't know if I would have this nice garment over my shoulders, but I didn't make it easy today. I was nervous. It was one of the toughest days I've ever had on the golf course,” added McIlroy, whose major wins include the 2011 US Open, the 2012 PGA Championship, the 2014 Open Championship and the 2014 PGA Championship. 

For the first Masters winner from Northern Ireland, who arrived at Augusta National on the back of two victories this season, it was a fifth major, the 29th career PGA Tour title and his second playoff win of the year after the Players Championship and came in his 17th appearance at Augusta National. McIlroy also became the third player to win the Players Championship and Masters Tournament in the same year after Tiger Woods (2001) and Scottie Scheffler (2024). 

Behind him, Rose joined Ben Hogan (1942, 1954) as the second player in Masters history to lose in a playoff twice after his earlier loss to Sergio Garcia in 2017. The Englishman though will move into the top 15 (12th) in the Official World Golf Ranking and in all has eight top 10s finishes from 20 Masters appearances, including three runner-up finishes. Rose was also tied for second behind Jordan Spieth in 2015 besides his playoff loss to Garcia in 2017. 

“Around the middle of the round, I just kind of went into the place that you dream about going to,” Rose said. “I felt so good with my game. Felt so good with my mind. I began to sense that I was playing my way into the tournament. I was laser-focused out there.” 

Reed, who now plies his trade with the LIV Golf circuit brought in his best finish in a major since his Masters victory in 2018. DeChambeau fell away after his early challenge to share sixth place behind Scheffler alongwith Korean Sungjae Im on 7 under 281.