Masters Champion Rory Mcllroy’s quest for the grand slam—winning all four major golf championship tournaments—started over a decade ago. He won his first major championship at the U.S Open in 2011, and then the British Open and PGA Championship in 2014 (another PGA Championship in 2016). A Masters win has been Mcllroy’s missing piece to completing the “grand slam” feat.
That missing puzzle piece was finally delivered on Sunday, April 13th, in Mcllroy’s 17th Masters start. On this day, Mcllroy outlasted Justin Rose in a playoff hole to join five others: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods in the “grand slam” attainment. He is the only European golfer in history to attain this accomplishment.
With this Masters tournament victory, Rory Mcllroy earned himself the notable green jacket. He also secured a lifetime invitation to play in all Masters tournaments in the future. Other tremendous benefits include full access to Augusta National and the prestigious Champions Locker Room. Mcllroy will also be included in the 2026 annual Champions Dinner–and all future dinners.
How did Mcllroy win the 2025 Masters, you might ask? His entire tournament can be described as a series of ups and downs: playing from far behind, having to hold the lead, and also losing the lead at different times.
McIlroy finished the first round at even par, behind Justin Rose, who was 7 under par, leading the tournament. Only four players in PGA Tournaments have ended up winning after being behind seven strokes. Most fans watching the tournament did not believe Mcllory would end up winning after having a mediocre day.
—72 first round score
Mcllroy’s first round consisted of 4 birdies in the first 13 holes, but his game took a turn during the last four holes when he recorded two double bogeys on the 15th and 17th holes. Besides those two double bogeys, Mcllroy played exceptionally well. On the 2nd day, Mcllroy began to climb back, recording 5 birdies and a memorable eagle on the 13th hole, reaching an overall career low (31) on the back nine. This second-round performance placed Mcllroy in a tie for third place, two strokes behind Justin Rose.
—66 second round score
On day three, Mcllroy recorded 4 birdies and 2 remarkable eagles on the 2nd and 15th holes. He did take on two bogeys at the 8th and 10th holes. Although Mcllroy did record two bogeys on these holes, he still was able to maintain his momentum throughout the round, as he executed a recovery shot in the woods extremely well on the 14th hole. By the end, Mcllroy claimed the lead, being twelve under par at this point. Bryson Dechambeu was trailing in second by two strokes.
—66 third round score
When championship Sunday arrived, Mcllroy’s first hole included a fairway bunker double bogey. Even when disappointing strokes like these occurred, Mcllroy didn’t let them change his outlook. “Every time I did something, it was replaced by a positive thought straight away, and I think that was the difference,” Mcllory commented in a post Masters tournament interview.
He quickly responded with two birdies on the 3rd and 4th holes. However, heading into the back nine was not pretty for Mcllroy. Despite having a four-shot lead at this late in the final round, Mcllory allowed runner up Rose to catch up with two bogeys and two double bogeys in the last few holes. He notably missed a short par putt that would’ve won him the tournament on the final hole that pushed him and Rose to a playoff hole.
—73 fourth round score
“I frankly thought Mcllroy was going to blow it after the few bogeys he had, so I wasn’t too sure he was going to come out on top in the playoff hole against Rose,” said Scituate High School junior Henry Gack, a member of the SHS golf team.
It was a nail biter between Mcllroy and Rose until the very end, when Rose was able to tie Mcllroy after he bogeyed the 18th hole. The last time a playoff hole appeared in the Masters was in 2017, between Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose. Making his 20th Masters start was Rose, who has not yet come out on top once.
During the playoff hole, Rose’s approach shot didn’t give him an easy birdie look, and he ended up with a par, while Mcllroy was able to land the ball just a few feet from the hole with his approach shot, giving him an easy birdie look to win the tournament. Winning on a playoff 18-hole matchup against Justin Rose, it was a moment Mcllory himself will undoubtedly never forget.
“It was the emotion of a decade plus that just came pouring out of relief and joy,” commented Mcllory in an interview after the four-day performance.
By winning the Masters, Mcllroy took home about $4.2 million in earnings. Nevertheless, he was quickly back on the course, playing in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the Truist Championship, and the PGA Championship.