A decade of heartbreak ended in a single stroke.
Rory McIlroy captured the elusive Masters title – and the career Grand Slam – by birdieing the first hole of a sudden-death playoff against Justin Rose on Sunday, punctuating a dramatic final round at Augusta National with a fist-pumping, tearful exhale of long-buried frustration.
Moments earlier, it looked like deja vu. McIlroy missed a five-foot par putt on the 18th in regulation, surrendering his lead and letting Rose back into the mix.
But the Northern Irishman reset, returned to the 18th, and delivered a dagger – sticking his approach to within two feet before burying the putt that crowned him in green.
As the putt dropped, McIlroy fell to his knees, arms raised to the sky. Emotion poured out. Behind the green, chants of “Rory! Rory!” rang out as he embraced wife Erica and daughter Poppy en route to Butler Cabin.
“There was a lot of pent-up emotion that just came out on that 18th green,” McIlroy said before donning the Green Jacket. “A moment like that makes all the years and all the close calls worth it.”
Now 35, McIlroy becomes just the sixth golfer in history to win all four men’s majors, joining legends Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
McIlroy’s relationship with Augusta has been equal parts promise and pain. In 2011, he held a four-shot lead entering the back nine on Sunday – only to collapse. For years, the Masters remained the missing piece. But this time, he refused to be denied.
Early in the final round, McIlroy was in cruise control. At the turn, he led by four shots. Then, everything wobbled. The lead evaporated, the nerves tightened and the roars around the course grew louder.
Then came two of the greatest shots of his career.
At the par-5 15th, McIlroy hooked a daring draw around trees and over water to six feet. He missed the eagle but tapped in for a birdie. Rose, playing ahead, answered with a stunning birdie at 18. McIlroy responded with another laser at 17 – this time from 197 yards to two feet.
Still, he missed the chance to win outright in regulation. But in the playoff, he made no mistake.
“This is my 17th time here,” McIlroy said, “and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time.”
For Justin Rose, Augusta heartbreak returned with cruel precision.
The 44-year-old Englishman fired a final-round 66 – the joint-low round of the day – and forced a playoff with his birdie bomb at 18. But when given a 15-foot look to extend the duel, he missed.
It’s the third time Rose has finished runner-up at the Masters. He also lost the 2017 playoff to Sergio Garcia.
“You can’t skip through a career without a little bit of heartache,” Rose said. “To lift the big trophies, you’ve got to risk feeling like this.”
Bryson DeChambeau, who started just two shots back, imploded with a closing 75 to finish tied for fifth. “A lot to be proud of, a lot to be pissed about,” he admitted.
Patrick Reed claimed solo third, two shots behind McIlroy. Reigning champion Scottie Scheffler, hoping to become just the fourth repeat winner at Augusta, settled for fourth after an inconsistent week.
“I didn’t have my best stuff,” said Scheffler. “But mentally, this was the best I’ve been all year.”
