Masters Champion: Rory McIlroy

A Masters for the ages...maybe even the greatest major golf Sunday we have EVER seen. I mean damn, it gave us everything we could have imagined and more! From meltdowns to rundowns, all-time swings that will forever be in Masters lore, finishing with, of course, a playoff between an Irishman and an Englishman.

Through it all, Rory McIlroy has finally done it. He has his career grand slam, his green jacket...the demons have been exorcised!

A round in which Rory put all of us through a rollercoaster of the emotions, clinging to every shot from hole 1 to the last putt at 18...ummm for the second time. A tournament that had all fans, and even just those who wanted a piece of history, tuned in. EVERY sports fans tuned in to this to see history made tonight.

McIlroy, starting the round with a two-shot lead, quickly lost it with a double bogey on the very first hole. Everyone at that point felt it was Bryson DeChambeau’s day from there. Instead, Rory found balance very quickly turning it around, sprinting out to a 5-shot lead heading into Amen Corner. It looked like the jacket tailoring was in process for him.

Until he hit a major fall(no pun intended)...on 13, trying to play it safe, he found water and another double bogey, his fourth of the weekend. The fall wasn’t over there though, as he followed it up with a bogey at 14.

Englishman Justin Rose, meanwhile, wanted the jacket that has also eluded him over the years, soaring back to the lead he held the first two rounds. Going into 15 for Rory, it was a three-way tie for first out of nowhere, with Rose and the young Swede Ludvig Åberg (please no questions at this time about his 18th).

Of course, coming off +3 on the last two holes, there’s no way Rory could reach the green in two from the first cut… right? Nope. The rollercoaster continued as he finds it, birdies, and regains his lead.

A lead he held going into 18, just needing a par for the whole dang thing boys. From the fairway, he somehow finds the greenside bunker... so just a quick up and down to history… nope it looks to be he has done it again to himself. Instead, a two-putt into a playoff, with all momentum evaporated from the air and all sit stunned of what they just witnessed.

Now Rose, having the last 15–20 minutes to dial it in on the range, Rory just limping in with the bogey...it looked to be another Monday of talk shows blasting Rory for his missteps, almosts, and what-ifs again.

Instead, Rory strides back up to the 18th tee and calm as ever throws two complete darts to get within five feet for a birdie putt to finally finish this thing...as if it was just a practice round on a Tuesday morning. It was like he didn't even think about how it's been 11 years since his last major win... or how this is the moment to complete his career grand slam.

Rory doesn't mess around, he addresses the ball quickly and putts away. As it rolled in, all 11 of those years of close calls, collapses, and frustrations... all that weight was gone, as he emotionally let go giving the fans everything they wanted in that championship for him. A moment in which I defy you not to shed a tear for him. He has freakin' done it, etched himself into the history books forever. A major player from a small country of Northern Ireland has captured the hearts of millions putting them all on his shoulders during this journey to a Masters green jacket.

McIlroy has been a polarizing figure in golf for almost two decades, love him or hate him you cannot deny that. For those who are in his camp, they know of the ups and downs he has gone through. For me Rory has been someone I’ve personally followed closely since he burst onto the scene. To be able to see him finally get his moment at the Masters is something he, and his fans will never forget. I remember way back watching him dominate a U.S. Open for his first, drawing me into the golf scene even deeper, and now to be here to blog about his career grand slam is a wonderful cherry on top as a diehard Rory stan for all these years.

Thank you, Rory, for this amazing Sunday. Finally I'm happy to say congratulations to the 2025 Masters Champion, Rory McIlroy.