Rory McIlroy finally chalked off the career Grand Slam with one of the most dramatic Masters victories in the history of the tournament.
McIlroy’s scorecard showed six birdies and a seventh in the play-off, but that barely touches the surface of the final day.
In the end, the now five-time Major winner beat Justin Rose at the first extra hole, an 18th hole that he had just bogeyed when he had a gap wedge in his hand.
There was a double-bogey straight off the block, he barely found a fairway all day and he hit one of the worst pitch shots into Rae’s Creek at 13 when seemingly in control of things.
But he would then very nearly eagle 15 for the second day running, after a sensational swinging iron shot, before making a three at the 17th after a very precise approach.
McIlroy is only the sixth player to win all four Majors – Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods coming before him – and he now moves to five Majors alongside the likes of Brooks Koepka and Seve Ballesteros.
The key shots…
3rd – a first birdie of the day after a poor start
World-class touch. @McIlroyRory reclaims the lead with a phenomenal birdie on the third. #TP5
pic.twitter.com/gzlAuJFx4n— TaylorMade Golf (@TaylorMadeGolf) April 13, 2025
‘The best shot I hit today was the second on 7, but I think one of the most important ones for me was the second shot on 3. You know, I started 6, 5. Hit a good tee shot on 3. That’s not an easy second shot, bumping it up that hill. To judge that well and make a 3 there, when Bryson then made 5, and then to go ahead and birdie the next hole, as well, I thought that was — you know, it was very early in the round, but it was a huge moment.’
7th – another recovery after ‘going upstairs’ from the left rough
#INSANE FROM MCILROY
— Rory hits a stunning recovery from the trees at the 7th. @trackingrory
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) April 13, 2025
‘Anytime I hit it in the trees this week, I had a gap. Even the second shot on 7 today, which I probably shouldn’t have taken on. Harry was telling me not to. I was like, “No, no, I can do this.”
I had problems all week with the 7th, 14th and 17th tee shots, all going that direction for some reason. I just struggled seeing tee shots.
When I hit it left, you know, I knew where the pin is — or I knew where the pin was. I knew that the front bunker wasn’t bad. I could have chased it up into the front bunker, but I saw a gap, and I was like, I can actually get this on the green, and if it goes in that little bowl, it could go close.
It was actually a very similar shot to the shot I played yesterday on 7 from the right trees, just opened up a 9-iron and hit it as hard as I could. To be able to pull it off was pretty cool even though I didn’t hole that putt either.’
13th – a double-bogey from nowhere
Rory McIlroy’s 3rd shot on 13 finds the water. pic.twitter.com/PleUmhzUa4
— Covers (@Covers) April 13, 2025
‘I thought I played the 13th hole smartly, at least for the first two shots, 3-wood off the tee, laid it up into a good position. I had 82 yards to the pin. It had gone into a little valley and it was on the upslope. And usually when I hit wedge shots off upslopes, they come out a little bit left on me.
I gave myself like a couple of yards of room to the right. I wasn’t aiming at the creek, but it came out, you know, a little weak and a little right, and that was — you know, to make a double there, when it’s a birdie chance, and then seeing what Rosey was doing, and also what Ludvig was doing at the time, as well.’
15th – to set up a birdie having dropped three shots in the last two holes
After a double bogey, bogey, on the par 5, 15th hole Rory McIlroy hit the shot of his life.
210 yards with 35 yards of draw. To 5 ft. For eagle. pic.twitter.com/uMYBELFyFK
— Benjamin Way (@BWay124) April 13, 2025
’15 was an advantage. I had an 8-iron in my hand, and Bryson hit first and hit it in the water. The breeze had freshened up, so I switched back to a 7 and then hit that shot. It was one of those where I knew it was enough to cover, and if it turned it, great, and if it didn’t, you’re sort of in that right trap and it’s not an easy up-and-down, but it’s a decent miss. So that was the sort of mindset on that one.’
Play-off – the approach
The cinema of the 73rd hole. #themasters pic.twitter.com/wJgncWWhOr
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2025
‘After scoring, Harry and I were walking to the golf cart to bring us back to the 18th tee, and he said to me, “Well, Pal, we would have taken this on Monday morning.” I’m like, “Yeah, absolutely we would have.” That was an easy reset. He basically said to me, look, you would have given your right arm to be in a playoff at the start of the week. So that sort of reframed it a little bit for me.
Yeah, again, I just kept telling myself, just make the same swing you made in regulation. And I hit a great drive up there. I think I had two yards less in the playoff than I did in regulation. It was a little bit of a flatter lie, as well, so I knew I had a perfect three-quarter gap wedge; was going to land into the slope and come back. So it was a good number. I just needed to make a good, committed swing, and I made one at the right time.’
Play-off – the winning putt
THE MOMENT IT HAPPENED
RORY MCILROY: THE WINNING PUTT
(via @TheMasters)pic.twitter.com/qVJ1vgWiM0
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) April 13, 2025
‘It was all relief. There wasn’t much joy in that reaction. It was all relief. And then, you know, the joy came pretty soon after that. I’ve been coming here for 17 years, and it was a decade-plus of emotion that came out of me there.
Then I just congratulated Justin on a great week. It’s ironic how these things happen. We were invited to a dinner by a few members of the club on Tuesday night, and we were the only two players at that table, and we are the ones that end up being in the play-off. It’s funny how these things work.
But he’s a great champion. He has displayed so much grace throughout his career. Justin is a great champion. And I remember watching the playoff in ’17 when he went up against Sergio, and that didn’t quite go his way, either. But he’s had a phenomenal record around here, and I feel for him a little bit because he’s been so close and hopefully he has a few more opportunities.’
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The post ‘I can do this’: Rory McIlroy on the daring shot at 7 that sparked his Masters Comeback and career Grand Slam appeared first on Golf365.
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