Rory McIlroy made a birdie on the first sudden-death playoff hole against Justin Rose to win his first Masters title, becoming just the sixth player in history to complete the career Grand Slam—winning all four major championships at least once: The Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, and The Open Championship (also known as the British Open). With the win, McIlroy joins an exclusive group of golf legends who have achieved the feat: Gene Sarazen (1935), Ben Hogan (1953), Gary Player (1965), Jack Nicklaus (1966), and Tiger Woods (2000).
The final leaderboard had Patrick Reed finishing third, Scottie Scheffler in fourth, and Sungjae Im and Bryson DeChambeau tied for fifth. Sunday at Augusta reflected much of McIlroy’s major championship struggles over the last 11 years—a mix of outstanding play and brutal setbacks. He lost a two-shot lead in two holes, then dropped a four-shot advantage in just three holes with a costly mistake, and narrowly missed a five-foot putt that would have won the tournament outright without going into a playoff.
The Masters had been the missing piece in McIlroy’s major championship resume, the only title that stood between him and golf’s Grand Slam club. Since winning the 2014 PGA Championship, McIlroy had gone without a major title win, and the pressure to win at Augusta grew heavier with each passing year. With this win, the 35-year-old finally broke through and etched his name alongside the game’s greatest champions.
"The long journey is over! McIlroy has his masterpiece." pic.twitter.com/X8LyQrJQr7
— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) April 13, 2025
Earned.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 13, 2025
pic.twitter.com/IdcUIfnQSR
Rory McIlroy bogeys No. 18.
— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) April 13, 2025
He will head to a playoff with Justin Rose.
CBS | Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/UuIEeTOScj
