Rory McIlroy emerged victorious at Augusta National as the winner of the 89th Masters tournament, capturing the one major that had eluded him and securing his place in golf immortality. McIlroy was in a dramatic showdown with Justin Rose, with both tied at 11-under par, and only needed one playoff hole to win. He finished with a 1-over 73 before heading into the playoff. McIlroy’s Master win gains him a record $4.2 million, an increase of $600,000 from what Scottie Scheffler earned when he captured his second green jacket in 2024.
The finish on April 13 was as dramatic as Augusta National can deliver. McIlroy entered the final hole with a one-shot lead but couldn’t save par, setting up a playoff with Rose, who shot a brilliant final-round 66. With the victory, McIlroy becomes the sixth golfer to complete the career Grand Slam, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. After sinking the winning putt, McIlroy dropped to his knees, visibly emotional. Years of pain and frustration melted away as he finally claimed his first green jacket.
“It feels incredible,” McIlroy said afterward on CBS. “This is my 17th time here and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time. The last ten years coming here with the burden of the Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that. I’m sort of wondering what we are going to talk about going into next year’s Masters. I’m honored and thrilled and so proud to call myself a Masters champion.”
McIlroy, 35, becomes the first golfer since Tiger Woods in 2000 to complete the career Grand Slam. It has been nearly ten years since his last major win—the 2014 PGA Championship. That makes this the sixth-longest span between major championship victories.
McIlroy has now converted five of six 54-hole solo leads in major championships, a success rate matched only by legends like Arnold Palmer and Gary Player. He also became the first Masters champion to overcome four double bogeys or worse during the tournament and only the second to win after bogeying the first hole of the final round. For the ninth straight year, the Masters winner came from the final pairing on Sunday.
