Rory McIlroy has ended an 11-year drought in major championships, triumphing in spectacular fashion at Augusta National with his first Masters title. The Northern Irish golfer faced English veteran Justin Rose in a tense playoff after he narrowly missed a decisive putt on the final hole of the tournament.
Overcome with emotion, McIlroy collapsed to his knees in tears and shared heartfelt embraces with his partner, daughter, and close friend Shane Lowry as he exited the course. Speaking from Butler Cabin after receiving the iconic green jacket from Scottie Scheffler, he expressed: “It feels incredible… it’s a dream come true.”
Reflecting on his journey, McIlroy admitted he had begun to question if he would ever secure a major title again. “The last ten years have been weighed down by the burden of the grand slam,” he said, acknowledging the pressure he felt each year as he approached the Masters.
McIlroy, who began the final round with the lead, faced an unexpected challenge right from the start, double-bogeying the first hole and momentarily losing his hold on the top spot to Bryson DeChambeau. He later managed to build a five-shot advantage before a dramatic series of mistakes put his first green jacket in jeopardy. During the round, he struggled with a double-bogey on the 13th hole, allowing Rose to surge ahead as the surprise leader at 11 under.
As the tournament progressed, Rose’s birdie on the 18th hole tied him with McIlroy, leading to a sudden-death playoff after both finished at 11 under. McIlroy found himself in a precarious position when he missed a short putt on the 18th to clinch the title, forcing the playoff with Rose.
Incredibly, this victory marks McIlroy’s first Masters win after enduring ten previous attempts. He broke down again while paying tribute to his parents, acknowledging their sacrifices over the years, and shared, “I can’t wait to celebrate this with them.”
With this win, McIlroy has achieved the coveted career grand slam, joining the ranks of golfing legends like Gene Sarazen and Tiger Woods. He is now celebrated for having won all four major championships. Meanwhile, only Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth remain active players at the cusp of a grand slam, with Mickelson needing to secure the US Open and Spieth aiming for the PGA Championship to complete the feat.