Rory McIlroy’s Masters: quick facts
- When: 13 April 2025, Augusta National, Georgia.
- How: he beat England’s Justin Rose with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
- History made: the career Grand Slam, all four of golf’s majors, making him only the sixth man ever to do it and the first European.
- The wait: his first major win in nearly 11 years, after more than a decade of near-misses at Augusta.
For more than ten years, the Masters was the one that got away. Rory McIlroy, the boy from Holywood, Co. Down, had won the US Open, the Open and the PGA Championship by 2014, but the green jacket kept slipping out of reach. Then, on a dramatic Sunday in April 2025, he finally did it, and he fell to his knees on the 18th green.
Here is every shot of that final round, from The Masters’ own channel.
Who is Rory McIlroy?
Rory McIlroy grew up in Holywood, just outside Belfast. As a small boy he was already chipping balls into the family washing machine on TV, and he went on to become one of the most naturally gifted golfers of his generation. He won his first major, the US Open, in 2011 at the age of 22, then the PGA Championship in 2012, and both the Open and the PGA in 2014.
That left only the Masters. And for the next decade, it became the most talked-about missing piece in golf.
The Augusta heartbreaks
In 2011, aged 21, McIlroy led the Masters by four shots going into the final round, then collapsed to a closing 80. Over the years that followed he came close again and again, but something always went wrong at Augusta. Every April the question was the same: would this be the year?
The final round, 13 April 2025
It was anything but easy. McIlroy started the day with the lead and at one point was four shots clear on the back nine, then a double bogey on 13 and a bogey on 14 let the field back in. He steadied himself, but missed a short putt on the 18th that would have won it outright. Justin Rose, who had shot a brilliant final round, was waiting in the clubhouse.
In the sudden-death playoff, on the 18th hole, McIlroy hit his approach close and rolled in the birdie putt. He dropped to his knees, overcome, as the crowd roared. After 11 years, he was a major champion again, and a member of the most exclusive club in golf.
The career Grand Slam club
Only six men have won all four of golf’s modern majors: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and now Rory McIlroy. He is the first European to do it. Back home, the celebrations stretched from Holywood across the whole island.
Rory McIlroy Masters FAQ
When did Rory McIlroy win the Masters?
On 13 April 2025, in a playoff against Justin Rose.
Has Rory McIlroy won the career Grand Slam?
Yes. The 2025 Masters completed his set of all four majors.
Where is Rory McIlroy from?
Holywood, Co. Down, Northern Ireland.
How many majors has Rory McIlroy won?
Five after the 2025 Masters: the 2011 US Open, the 2012 and 2014 PGA Championships, the 2014 Open and the 2025 Masters.
More Irish sporting moments
- Shane Lowry’s Open at Royal Portrush
- Katie Taylor v Amanda Serrano
- Ireland v the All Blacks, Chicago 2016
- Kellie Harrington’s two Olympic golds
Featured image: still from The Masters’ official YouTube channel.
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