Rory McIlroy can finally say he is a grand slam winner and he can finally say he’s the owner of one of those iconic green jackets, but he’s been tipped for further success by Dame Laura Davies.
After an eventful and stressful final round at The Masters 2025, Rory McIlroy ended years of hurt to land the top prize at Augusta National.
McIlroy took a two-stroke lead into the final day. A rollercoaster ride saw him extend that advantage, before dropping shots in frustrating circumstances and allowing Justin Rose in to tie the lead.
A missed putt on 18 forced The Masters to a play-off between McIlroy and Rose, but a couple of stunning shots and a clutch putt delivered the title to the Northern Irishman, completing his career grand slam after 11 years of pushing for that green jacket.
McIlroy was full of emotion after the win, describing the relief and joy he felt at finally winning The Masters. But, this could just be the start for the world number two.
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During the post-round coverage on Sky Sports, Dame Laura Davies was full of praise for the resilience McIlroy showed to bounce back again and again during that final round to secure the win.
She said: “It has taken everything out of him. To not hole a putt and miss the green on 18, I can’t even imagine how he felt going in and signing his scorecard. He wouldn’t believe what had just happened. He had to regather himself.
“He hit a perfect drive. He stands up and hits the wedge in there to three feet. He just comes back time after time after time. This is his redemption. Everyone has been criticising him for 11 years because he didn’t win another major. He has got five now.”
Looking ahead to the future, Dame Laura made a bold prediction about how successful McIlroy can go on to be now that he has gotten this monkey off his back.
She added: “He might get five or six more after this because nothing will ever for Rory McIlroy be pressure like that again. He has won the Grand Slam, he will never feel pressure like he felt today and he came through and won.
“He tried to throw it away a couple of times but he didn’t. One of the greatest sporting moments I have ever witnessed.”
Rory McIlroy has immortalised himself in the world of golf now
Paul McGinley continued to love train for McIlroy shortly after in Sky Sports’ coverage, adding that the young Northern Irishman had now written his name in the history books and will go down as a true great of the game.
He said: “The second person in 59 years to win the grand slam. The different skill sets required to win each of the four majors. You have the links and the weather of The Open Championship. To the tightness and heavy rough of the US Open. To the PGA, which is kind of like a PGA Tour event, just a bit more difficult, and then Augusta and all the charm which goes with that.
“To be able to complete them is rarified atmosphere and then you throw down to trying to complete the last one, 12 guys have got to three and haven’t been able to get over the line. And to be quite honest they haven’t really come close.
“So for him to get there and that’s the emotion you saw coming out. Standing on the precipice of immortality. He is only the sixth person in our game. That’s a huge bar. I think there is more majors coming. Now the release valve has gone. He may well now open up with less pressure and complete some more major championship wins.”
How Rory McIlroy secured the green jacket on day four at Augusta National
With McIlroy’s 54-hole lead going into the final day at The Masters, many expected him to get the job done, but few would have predicted the way the round would play out.
A double bogey on the first set McIlroy up for disaster, but the leader held his nerve and composed himself to stay strong as Bryson DeChambeau huffed and puffed before falling away completely.
But, with Rose going under the radar, and McIlroy losing his cool on 13 and 14, the outcome of The Masters became far from a foregone conclusion. By the end of 18 holes, McIlroy needed to simply par the last, but he missed a six-foot putt by inches to take it to a play-off.
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Tot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 72 |
| Score | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 73 |
It didn’t take too long to find a winner from there, though. Despite Rose playing a nice drive and a solid iron onto the green, Rory McIlroy outdid him every step of the way and delivered the perfect putt to secure birdie, the title, and the career grand slam in the process.
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