What a Win at the Masters Means for the Irish Star
After one of the most up-and-down Masters for a player maybe ever, Rory McIlroy came out on top, winning his first green jacket and completing the career grand slam in a playoff-deciding hole against Justin Rose. Rory not only now has completed one of golf’s greatest achievements, but also broke the record for the longest time between majors at 11 years. After receiving the coveted green jacket from previous winner Scottie Scheffler, the question now truly becomes, what does this incomparable achievement mean for Rory, and is this just the start of Rory’s 2025 campaign? Near having to win this tournament three times on Sunday, Rory got his get back at Bryson Dechambeau who he lost to at last year's U.S. Open at Pinehurst.
Rory came into round four up two strokes on Bryson after second and third rounds of 66 and 66 respectively. McIlroy lost that lead just two holes in however, as Rory would double bogey the first hole, before taking his lead back on the next eight holes, birdying three of the next eight, totaling his score to 13 under par going into Augusta’s second nine. Rory’s up-and-down round would be far from over though, as Rory would birdie 10 and 15, but would still lose strokes, even going down to a three-way tie after hole 14 due to back-to-back holes with a bogey and a water-ball double on 13. The iconic shot of the day for Rory would come on 17 however, as he would fly his second shot with 197 left to about three feet, draining the put to go into hole 18, needing a par to beat Justin Rose who had already finished at the time at 10 under due to a clutch put on 18 himself. 18 would be a hole of disappointment, however, as, besides his near-perfect drive, McIIroy would put his second shot into the right bunker, before missing a five-foot put with a chance to win.
Rory’s day was far from over though, as his two perfect shots during the first playoff hole and a missed 20-foot put by Justin Rose would leave the Irish star with just three feet to win. McIIroy would sink the put, declaring himself a Master’s champion and just the sixth player ever to win the grand slam, joining fellow legends such as Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. He also became the first player to ever win the tournament with as many doubles as he had, considering the last 24 winners had combined for six total double bogeys while Rory won with four. With the win, Rory now has no more questions about his legacy, in a tournament and a Sunday where he could’ve been remembered as a choke artist, he became a champion. McIlroy now also has wins at the two biggest tournaments of the year with the Players and Augusta and now has the chance to make this year into what he saw from Scheffler in 2024. The emotion said it all for Rory, he had given away a green jacket just 14 years ago, going from first to out of the top 10, but today he managed to keep his composure and bring home the trophy. If he wasn’t already, this officially makes Rory a golf legend, and a player who is no longer scared of the Augusta grass.
