After 11 years without a major win, Rory McIlroy made history at Augusta National by winning the 2025 Masters and becoming just the sixth golfer in history to complete the career Grand Slam. The Grand Slam is winning the four major titles in golf, including the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, British Open and the Masters. There are only five people in history excluding Rory to complete this feat, who include Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen. Winning the Masters would solidify Rory as one of the greats in the golfing world.
McIlroy, who turned pro in 2007, had already claimed the U.S. Open (2011), PGA Championship (2012, 2014), and Open Championship (2014), but the Masters had long eluded him. Despite multiple top-10 finishes at Augusta, including a runner-up in 2022, McIlroy entered this year’s tournament with the weight of history on his shoulders.
He started slowly with an even-par 72 in Round 1 but bounced back with back-to-back 66s to take a two-shot lead into Sunday. However, this Sunday for Rory was more difficult than some people think. Last year at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, Rory came runner-up to Bryson DeChambeau, and the pairing for the final round of the Masters was Rory and Bryson. In golf, instead of playing against the player next to you, you need to play the course — and that is the complete opposite of what DeChambeau did. Bryson fell off the leaderboard and left Rory alone. After a tough final round, McIlroy finished tied with Justin Rose at 11-under, forcing a sudden-death playoff.
On the first playoff hole, McIlroy stuck his approach to within two feet and tapped in for birdie, securing the win, the green jacket, and his place among golf’s all-time greats. Rory’s win at the 2025 Masters and the completion of his Grand Slam will be one of the greatest golfing moments of our generation.
