AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy finally achieved his career Grand Slam after a long and arduous wait.
This significant victory was filled with drama, reflecting the previous near misses in his career.
The 35-year-old golfer from Northern Ireland overcame a shaky start and a tense finish in the final round of the 89th Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday. He defeated Justin Rose in a sudden-death playoff, securing a green jacket and becoming only the sixth golfer to accomplish a career Grand Slam.
McIlroy joins golf legends Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods as the only players to have won all four major championships in the Masters era.
`This is my 17th time here, and I began to wonder if my time would ever come,` McIlroy admitted. `For the past decade, the Grand Slam pressure has been immense, and now I`m curious about what the conversations will be leading up to next year`s Masters.`
In the playoff on the 18th hole, both McIlroy and Rose hit the fairway from their tees. Rose`s approach shot from 187 yards nearly went in, landing 15 feet past the hole. McIlroy`s second shot was even closer, landing on the slope above the hole and rolling back to within 4 feet of the cup, as the crowd chanted his name.
After careful consideration of his putt, Rose`s birdie attempt missed to the right. McIlroy, given a second chance after missing a short putt on the 72nd hole, seized the opportunity and made his putt.
McIlroy celebrated by throwing his putter and burying his head in his hands, overcome with emotion. He wept before embracing his caddie, Harry Diamond. He then found his wife, Erica, and daughter, Poppy, and was still tearful as he walked from the 18th green to the clubhouse, greeted by cheering patrons.
Later, on the practice green for the trophy ceremony, McIlroy hugged his putting coach, Brad Faxon, and remarked, `What a roller coaster.`
`It`s been 14 years in the making, thinking back to 2011 when I had a four-shot lead and felt I could win it,` McIlroy reflected. `The pent-up emotion released on the 18th green. This moment makes all the years of effort and close calls worthwhile.`
McIlroy thanked his family and team while accepting the trophy, just before donning the green jacket.
`They`ve been with me throughout this journey,` McIlroy said. `They understand the weight I carry each year coming here, trying again and again.`
Tiger Woods acknowledged the pressure and congratulated McIlroy on social media.
`Welcome to the club @McIlroyRory,` Woods posted on X. `Completing the Grand Slam at Augusta is truly special. Your determination throughout this round and journey has shone brightly, making you a part of history. Proud of you!`
McIlroy`s final round of 1-over 73 brought his total to 11 under. Rose, also at 11 under, had closed the gap with a 6-under 66, including a 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole, forcing a playoff—the first at the Masters since 2017.
Rose had also been in that 2017 playoff, losing to Sergio Garcia.
On Sunday, Rose was six strokes behind McIlroy after the 10th hole, but he rallied with six birdies and two bogeys in the final eight holes, including the crucial putt on No. 18.
`That putt is what you dream of as a kid, and to sink it was special,` Rose said regarding the putt that led to the playoff. `Playoffs are sudden death, offering limited chances. If you don`t make the decisive shot or putt, it`s over. I don`t think I could have done much more today.`
McIlroy had an opportunity to win on the 72nd hole. His tee shot landed safely in the fairway, but his approach went right into a greenside bunker. He chipped out to about 5 feet but missed the par putt, leading to the playoff with Rose.
Patrick Reed of LIV Golf, the 2018 Masters champion, finished third at 9 under. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, aiming for his third green jacket in four years, finished fourth at 8 under. Bryson DeChambeau and Sungjae Im tied for fifth at 7 under.
This was McIlroy`s 11th attempt at completing the career Grand Slam, the most among those who have achieved it. For a moment on Sunday, it seemed he would have to wait again after losing a four-stroke lead in the second nine.
Facing another potential Masters disappointment, McIlroy delivered a memorable shot on the 17th hole. With Rose already at 11 under in the clubhouse, McIlroy needed a birdie in the last two holes to avoid a playoff.
After a 248-yard drive, McIlroy hit an iron shot, urging it to `go, go, go!` as he watched it fly. The ball landed on the green and rolled to within 2 feet of the hole. He made the birdie, moving to 12 under, one ahead of Rose.
It appeared sufficient, until McIlroy missed the short putt on the 18th, setting up the playoff.
This is McIlroy’s fifth major championship and his first in over a decade. His previous major wins include the 2011 U.S. Open, and the 2012 and 2014 PGA Championships, and the 2014 Open Championship.
McIlroy made the turn at 1-under 35 and was the first to reach 13 under, extending his lead with another birdie on the 10th.
However, McIlroy`s lead diminished at Amen Corner. On the 11th, his approach nearly went into the water. It stopped on the bank, but he missed a 10-foot par putt, dropping to 13 under.
After parring the 12th, trouble struck at the 13th. Following a 300-yard drive, McIlroy laid up his approach, then hit a poor wedge shot that landed in Rae’s Creek.
DeChambeau, playing with McIlroy, expressed sympathy. `Trying to win a major, especially at Augusta on Sunday, requires precision. There were moments he seemed in control, and then moments of uncertainty.`
After a penalty, McIlroy chipped to 11 feet and missed the bogey putt, taking a double-bogey 7. His lead over Rose narrowed to one.
On the 14th, McIlroy`s tee shot went into the trees, and his approach fell short of the green. He chipped to about 10 feet and missed the par putt, falling to 10 under and tied with Rose and Åberg.
McIlroy began the final round with a two-stroke lead over DeChambeau, but it disappeared with a double-bogey on the first hole.
McIlroy is the first Masters champion to record four double-bogeys in a single tournament.
Jasper Hawthorne