Rory McIlroy Wins 2025 Masters, Completes Career Grand Slam

Finally, at last . . . Rory McIlroy is a Masters Champion.

It took an extra hole in a playoff over fellow European Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose, but McIlroy made sure that's all it would be on a sparkling day at Augusta National.

After having the same yardage that he had on the final hole in regulation - which resulted in a push into the greenside bunker, missed putt and bogey - McIlroy stuffed his approach this time, using the 18th hole's back slope to feed his ball to mere feet from the hole. Rose would miss his birdie; McIlroy didn't miss this time.

The birdie putt sealed not only McIlroy's first Masters title and a Green Jacket, but something even more elusive that only five players before him had completed: the career Grand Slam. Its the accomplishment of winning all four men's Major Championship titles in one's career and McIlroy joined Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in the rare feat.

"The long journey is over!" CBS Sports' Jim Nantz bellowed after the final putt. "McIlory has his masterpiece!"

And while the final round scorecard may not completely reflect the term "masterpiece," it's no matter to Rory. Mistakes were made, yes: the double bogey to kick off the final round in a heavyweight duel with Bryson DeChambeau; a puzzling chip into Rae's Creek on the 13th hole; and the soul-crushing missed putt to win it in regulation on 18.

The McIlroy of past big moments has fizzled when those negative episodes intervene; not today, however. The early double was followed by two back-to-back birdies on 3 and 4. Then two more on 9 and 10. The shocking double bogey-bogey combo on 13 and 14 were followed by a sensational second shot at 15 that led to a birdie. Then another on 17.

It was the same recipe in the playoff. When all but his caddy Harry Diamond see to count him out, McIlroy dug deep to find anything, and there was something still there. The bogey on 18 was a thing of the past. The birdie to win, the Masters, the Grand Slam, the demons extinguished . . . that was the thing of his dreams.

"I go back to watching this tournament with my father on the weekend when I was 7-8 years old. Watching Tiger do what he did in 1997 . . . that was my inspiration to try to become what I am today. To think that I'm wearing one of those Green Jackets is a dream come true . . .my dreams have been made today."