Rory McIlroy Wins First Masters in Dramatic Playoff to Complete Career Grand Slam
- Victor Nwoko
- Apr 14
- 4 min read

Rory McIlroy finally captured the elusive Masters title, prevailing in a sudden-death playoff against Justin Rose to become just the sixth player in golf history to complete the career Grand Slam. The 35-year-old from Northern Ireland turned a tumultuous final round at Augusta National into his most triumphant moment yet, finishing with a birdie on the playoff hole to secure his place in history.
McIlroy’s journey to the green jacket was a microcosm of his career — brilliance marked by moments of collapse. Holding a two-shot lead early on Sunday, he saw it evaporate in two holes. He later held a four-shot lead that also disappeared within three holes, punctuated by a shocking mistake. A missed five-foot putt on the 18th hole for par forced a playoff after a round of 1-over 73.

In the playoff, McIlroy hit a wedge to three feet and made the birdie putt after Rose missed from 15 feet. The victory ended an 11-year drought since McIlroy's last major and erased the painful memories of past Masters heartbreaks, including the infamous 2011 collapse when he lost a four-shot lead with a final-round 80.
After making the final putt, McIlroy raised his arms in victory, let his putter fall behind him, dropped to his knees, and buried his forehead into the green, overcome with emotion. The moment marked the release of years of pressure and unfulfilled expectations. “There were points in my career where I didn’t know if I would have this nice garment over my shoulders,” he said, referring to the green jacket. “But I didn’t make it easy today. I certainly didn’t make it easy. I was nervous. It was one of the toughest days I’ve ever had on the golf course.”

McIlroy and Rose both finished at 11-under 277, two shots ahead of Patrick Reed, who shot 69. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler also shot 69 and finished fourth. U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau had taken the lead early when McIlroy double-bogeyed the opening hole, but his chances collapsed on the back nine with three-putts and two water balls, closing with a 75.
Ludvig Aberg, runner-up in his Masters debut a year ago, briefly held a share of the lead before finishing with bogey and triple bogey to fall out of contention.

McIlroy’s final round was filled with drama. He opened with a double bogey, saw DeChambeau fall away, and watched Rose close with a 66, including a dramatic 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole. McIlroy looked poised to win in regulation until his second shot at the 13th hole landed in Rae’s Creek, leading to a double bogey. He then bogeyed the 14th after a poor drive left him blocked by pines, losing the lead.
But McIlroy responded with a birdie on the 15th after navigating a tough lie and hitting a 7-iron to six feet. At the 17th, he struck an 8-iron to two feet for birdie, regaining the lead, only to miss a five-foot par putt on the 18th that would have sealed the win.

The playoff offered one final test, and McIlroy delivered. His tee shot split the fairway, and his wedge approach trickled down to three feet. Rose, who had lost in a playoff at Augusta in 2017, could not match him and joined Ben Hogan as the only players to lose twice in Masters playoffs. “It’s the kind of putt you dream about as a kid, and to have it and hole it, it was a special feeling,” Rose said of his birdie on the 18th in regulation. “And unfortunately, the playoff, they always end so quickly.”
McIlroy now joins Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, and Gene Sarazen as winners of all four professional majors. He is also the first Masters champion to record four double bogeys during the tournament — two in the first round and two in the final round — a record that underscored the wild nature of his path to victory.

His joy was evident throughout the celebration — on the green, in Butler Cabin as Scheffler helped him into the green jacket, and during the trophy presentation. Speaking to his 4-year-old daughter Poppy, McIlroy said, “Never give up on your dreams. Never, ever give up on your dreams.”
From a young phenom who once crumbled under pressure to a resilient champion who stared failure in the face and fought back, McIlroy finally leaves Augusta National with the one prize that had always eluded him.
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