AUGUSTA, Ga. — The journey back to the winner’s circle of a major championship appeared to be without an end in sight for Rory McIlroy. Lasting nearly 11 full years — 3,899 days, to be exact — McIlroy wandered from major to major, course to course wondering when the clock would finally stop ticking.
That came for the 35-year-old at 7:16 p.m. on Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club as McIlroy ended his decade-long odyssey in euphoric yet agonizing fashion, beating Justin Rose in a playoff at the 2025 Masters to claim his first green jacket and become the sixth man in history to transverse professional golf’s career grand slam.
Holding a 54-hole lead at a major for the sixth time in his career and first time since his last such victory at the 2014 PGA Championship, McIlroy double bogeyed No. 1 with it appearing as if ghosts of his past were back to haunt him as they did down the stretch of Thursday’s first round. Birdies on Nos. 3-4 eased that anguish, and two more from Nos. 9-10 pushed him five shots ahead of the field with eight holes to play.
Sunday’s final round appeared to be rolling as smoothly as like the back-to-back 66s that pulled McIlroy into the 54-hole lead; however, a bogey on the 11th, shocking double bogey on the 13th — his second of the round and fourth of the week — and another bogey on the 14th saw that entire advantage erased as 18- and 36-hole leader Justin Rose scored consecutive birdies across Nos. 14-16 to briefly McIlroy’s position on the leaderboard at 11 under.
Suddenly, a three-way tie emerged at 10 under between McIlroy (thru 14), Rose (thru 17) and 2024 Masters runner-up Ludvig Åberg (thru 15). Then McIlroy stood tall on the 15th, a par-5 he double bogeyed Thursday, birdied Friday and eagled Saturday. After curving a blast around a tree in one of the best shots of this Masters, McIlroy missed an eagle putt but still find the cup for birdie to pull one ahead with three holes remaining.
Rose did not go down without a fight. He immediately matched McIlroy with a long birdie putt on his 72nd hole to post Sunday’s best round with a 6-under 66, move back into a tie with the Northern Irishman and hold the clubhouse lead at 11 under.
McIlroy birdied the 17th to retake the lead and headed to the 18th with the chance to win with a par. He recovered after sending his second shot into the bunker, but he could not convert a par putt that would’ve given him the green jacket after 72 holes. McIlroy won on the 73rd hole. His second shot rolled to within a few feet of the pin, and McIlroy made his birdie putt after Rose missed his.
In doing so, McIlroy became the first European golfer in history to win the Masters, PGA, U.S. Open and Open Championship in his career with McIlroy joining a select group of all-four major winners that only includes true legends of the game: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
The green jacket and career grand slam were paramount, but a fifth major title now belongs to McIlroy, too. His trials lasted 38 majors spanning Augusta National to Los Angeles Country Club to St. Andrews. There were excruciatingly close calls, backdoor top-fives and shocking missed cuts — basically everything but trophy raises.
Ten months after McIlroy lost his mettle and could only watch on a screen as Bryson DeChambeau avoided a playoff on the 72nd hole to win the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, Rory remained steady and focused on the second nine at Augusta National to emerge as No. 1.
While McIlroy battled DeChambeau head-to-head and staved off a rising leaderboard that featured Rose (the 18- and 36-hole leader), 2024 Masters runner-up Ludvig Åberg, 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed and Corey Conners, there were only two true ongoing competitions Sunday.
Rory McIlroy vs. Rory McIlroy and Rory McIlroy vs. Augusta National — his two greatest adversaries over the last decade.
In his 10 prior trips to ANGC since the career grand slam came into play, McIlroy had claimed six top-10s with a backdoor 2nd in 2022. No green jackets. He regularly played himself out of contention early and battled back to respectability late. There was never a time in which patrons in attendance or viewers watching at home could truly believe the Ulsterman would finish his story.
The double bogey on the 1st Sunday ensured McIlroy would again be contending with himself over the remaining 17 holes. He immediately flipped a switch showcasing discipline, composure and mental fortitude coming home.
So frequently had McIlroy faced similar circumstances. So frequently had he fallen short.
Not this time. Not Sunday. Not with a chance to avenge his loss to DeChambeau. Not with an opportunity to win a green jacket. Not with the gravity of standing side by side among the immortals of the game weighing on his shoulders.
In capturing his fifth major, Mcllroy becomes one of the 16 most successful major-championship golfers of all-time. He stands as the sixth five-timer joining the likes of Byron Nelson, Seve Ballesteros and Brooks Koepka, and Mcllroy now sits one major shy of Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo and Phil Mickelson.
CBS Sports will continue updating this story with scores and highlights from the Masters below. Check out the scores at the top of this story and our complete Masters TV schedule and coverage guide so you can watch the green jacket ceremony live from Butler Cabin.
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