MacIlroy, Masters Champion 2025

“It feels incredible.” Rory MacIlroy

"It feels incredible."

I must admit to being quite nervous at times watching Rory MacIlroy work his way through the final round of the 2025 Masters at Augusta, Georgia. Before the start, my brother and I discussed who might be this year’s Master’s Champion; Scottie Scheffler. Rory, Jon Rahm, Ludvig Åberg and Collin Morikawa. We did not consider Justin Rose at all as a serious contender for the title. Thank goodness we were not the only ones to make that mistake. Golf being golf a rank outsider can always come through to shake things up. Justin Rose is no rank outsider.

Start

Round 1, Justin Rose had a magnificent opening 65, MacIlroy opened with a 73, 1 over par 72. One commentator suggested he could not see MacIlroy recovering from such a poor start to contend further. My brother and I couldn’t disagree with that assessment. Champions ignore everybody in pursuit of success. They block out all the noise and get on with what they do best.

Middle

MacIlroy got back to work, shooting 66 in rounds 2 and 3. What a stunning turnaround, reinforcing the form shown earlier in the season with wins at the Players and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am. Bryson DeChambeau’s lengthy putt brought him within 2 strokes of MacIlroy’s lead and into the last group for the final round.

We brothers discussed the importance of legacy for MacIlroy, should he go on to win the Masters. He will complete the Grand Slam, winning all four majors in his career, becoming only the sixth golfer to do so. He would join an elite group of legendary golfers, including Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods—each renowned for their exceptional achievements and unique contributions to the sport.

The Nervous Final Round

A double bogey after the first hole, wiping out the lead over DeChambeau. “Come on Rory!” I yelled at the tv. He recovered those two dropped strokes with birdies on holes 3 and 4. All was under control for Rory until the inexplicable double bogey, another one, on the par 5, 13th. This was heart thumping stuff to witness. Using a 7-iron for the ball to roll off the green into the creek, how could one of the world’s top golfers make such an error. Another bogey on the 14th, brings other challengers into play. A magnificent, drawing 6 iron into the par 5, 15th, made a shortish putt for eagle a real possibility. It ended with a birdie. The nervousness of the day continued.

Meantime Justin Rose was burning up the course with 10 birdies, after starting the day 7 strokes off the lead. Rose finished with a confident 20ft birdie on the 18th, sealing a nerveless 66. The crowd erupted.

Finishing holes

MacIlroy pars the 16th and birdies 17. At the 18th and 12 under, he has a single stroke lead over Justin Rose. After a drive puts him in a position to finish in a standard way, at least it looked that way for a professional golfer. I still had some nervousness, just like MacIlroy had all-day long. Surely, Rory could finish off the Masters, his 17th appearance, with a straightforward win. I couldn’t believe it; he dumped his second into the side bunker. Still, he had the chance to finish with a par and the win. Pro’s get up and down from bunkers without a sweat, or so I thought. MacIlroy left a testy but makeable putt to win. No such luck, it’s playoff time. MacIlroy and Rose are at 11 under.

Rory McIlroy the sixth member of an elite group.

A hard watch

It’s tough at the top. So many chances, MacIlroy could have finished within the regulation 18 holes, but nerves for him and us at home, feed tension. The longer it goes on the better the chances are for Rose, MacIlroy must take his opportunity to add to his legacy.

On the first playoff hole, after great drives by both, Rose launches his approach shot into the green, landing next to the hole, rolling to be 10ft out, for a straight putt. MacIlroy’s approach also good, lands soft but curves in off the slope, to stop closer to the hole. Rose’s putt glides by to finish with a par. MacIlroy, finally takes his chance and nails the birdie.

The Crowd

It was great to see and hear the size of the crowd of the enthusiasm chanting ‘Rory’ before and after his success. A wonderful spectacle and a great Masters 2025. Congratulations Rory MacIlroy.

In his own words

“I was really nervous going into it, but it was almost as if the double bogey on the first hole calmed my nerves a little bit—in a funny way—and helped me settle into the game. I just kept thinking throughout the week about how I responded to setbacks. That’s what I’ll take away from this weekend, and I couldn't be more proud of myself for that. Being able to bounce back when I needed to was crucial.” Rory MacIlroy. Masters Champion 2025.