Rory McIlroy’s first words as Masters champion after beating Justin Rose in a playoff

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The wait is over. Rory McIlroy is finally The Masters champion after a momentous day at Augusta National saw him come out on top over Justin Rose.

McIlroy was leading by four shots midway through the round but made a shocking double bogey on 13 to bring Rose and others back into it.

However, an absolutely stunning shot on 15 set up a birdie before an even better approach on 17 allowed McIlroy to take a one shot lead up the last.

• READ MORE: Byeong Hun An suggests one hole at Augusta was set up very unusually on the final day of The Masters, ‘I’ve never seen the flag there’

However, he failed to make par, and faced the agonising wait of a playoff against Justin Rose.

In the end though, McIlory did the business, rolling in from a few feet to win the green jacket in massively emotional scenes on 18.

Now, Rory McIlroy has spoken his first words since sealing his very first green jacket.

Rory McIlroy’s first words as Masters champion

McIlroy was on the green right after winning and expectedly, was emotional. And going into the traditional presentation with Scottie Scheffler, McIlroy was still emotional.

However, he found some words to sum up the round.

“It feels incredible. This is my 17th time here and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time and the last 10 years coming here with the burden of the grand slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that. I am sort of wondering what we are all going to talk about going into next year’s Masters.

“But I am honoured and thrilled and so proud to be able to call myself the Masters champion,” McIlroy said.

• READ MORE: Byeong Hun An suggests one hole at Augusta was set up very unusually on the final day of The Masters, ‘I’ve never seen the flag there’

A remarkable round for Rory McIlroy at Augusta National

A double bogey on the opening hole, then another double on 13, mixed in with a bogey on 14 and then mixed in with five birdies means it was quite the day for Rory McIlroy.

At one point he looked to have it won. Then at another point it looked like he’d lost it completely.

A shot into the bunker on 18 then looked to have ended his hopes and it nearly did, as he failed to make par and went to a playoff with Rose.

In the end though, McIlroy’s class shone through and a stunning wedge shot set up a tap in birdie for McIlroy.

It was, for many, the greatest final Masters day in history and with Rory McIlroy coming out on top, he got his fairy tale ending…at last!