Rory McIlroy achieved sporting immortality as he was crowned the 2025 Masters Champion and a career grand slam winner.
McIlroy joins just five others to have won all four majors and there were emotional scenes afterwards.
The now five-time major winner started his day with a double bogey on the first as he waved goodbye to his overnight lead but bounced back superbly with a couple of quickfire birdies to get back to 12-under-par while DeChambeau began to drop shots himself.
At times it felt like a procession, McIlroy was recovering from his poor driving with relative ease and back-to-back birdies on nine and 10 saw him lead by five shots.
McIlroy took a lead out of the book of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods on 12 as he hit to the centre of the green and two-putted for par while DeChambeau's challenge ended .
Laying up to 80 yards on the par five 13th, McIlroy made an inexcusable mess of his pitch shot and found the water and hit his fourth double bogey of the week, all the while Justin Rose and Ludvig Aberg began to make a late charge.
It went from bad to worse with a bogey on 14 and that dreaded feeling of a final day collapse reverberated around the golfing world.
But McIlroy came up clutch, hitting a stunning hooked shot into the 15th to leave a makeable eagle putt and walked away with a tap in birdie. He gave himself another birdie look on 16 and just missed while birdieing the 17th to give himself a one shot lead over the resurgent Justin Rose going down the last.
Despite a poor day off the tee, McIlroy hit a peach on 18 leaving himself just 125 yards but hit the bunker and missed a short putt to win the Masters and set up an extraordinary play-off.
He wasn't going to throw away his chance again as he saved his best drive and approach of the day for a tap in birdie and win the 2025 Masters.
Darragh Culhane
The winning moment
McIlroy's moment. #themasters pic.twitter.com/ii5NCjvLmA
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2025
Darragh Culhane
Doing it the hard way
Four Double bogeys, a heartbreak on day one and the resilience to come back. McIlroy played his worst golf on Sunday, was forced to play the hottest golfer in Augusta in a playoff and hit his best drive and approach to beat Justin Rose.
All the years of heartbreak, all the years of expectation and Rory McIlroy is a Career Grand Slam winner and finally has his fifth major.
"I've gotta go get a green jacket' he tells his peers. He is immortalised
Darragh Culhane
HISTORY MAKER!
TEARS THEN JUBILATION! McIlroy sinks to the green in tears and then embraces Harry Diamond. He shows every emotion under the sun.
Rory McIlroy showed the good the bad and the ugly today and is now a five-time major winner and the Masters Champion.
A career grand slam and one of the greatest players to ever hit a golf ball. His wife Erica has sunglasses on to hide her tears, his daughter Poppy has no idea what is going on as the crowd chant 'RORY RORY RORY'
Darragh Culhane
Rory McIlroy putt for birdie
This is it, the chance to win the Masters.
He only has 3-4 feet to win.
Augusta goes quiet as McIlroy steps over.
HE DOES IT RORY MCILROY HAS WON THE MASTERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Darragh Culhane
Justin Rose putts for birdie
Justin Rose steps over his birdie putt... HE MISSES
Rory McIlroy has a putt to win the Masters
Darragh Culhane
Rory McIlroy approach shot
Same yardage as the last time, 125 yards.
THAT IS RIDICULOUS, he has about 3-4 feet for birdie
Darragh Culhane
Justin Rose approach shot
Justin Rose has 157 yards in
He takes an 8 iron and has a great look at birdie
Darragh Culhane
Rory McIlroy tees off
Rory McIlroy hits a perfect drive down the middle
Darragh Culhane
Justin Rose tees off
Justin Rose takes dead aim at the bunker. Baby fade and absolutely perfect
Darragh Culhane
And we're ready for the playoff
Justin Rose to tee off
Darragh Culhane
This close!
That close to victory. #themasters pic.twitter.com/VFj0gHA7lc
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2025
Darragh Culhane
Play-off rules
Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy will compete in a sudden-death play-off. They'll play 18 and if it's a tie they'll play 10.
Darragh Culhane
Quick kiss and hug
Poppy and Erica are on 18 green and he gives a quick kiss and embrace.
He has to do it the hard way
Darragh Culhane
MCILROY MISSES
Rory McIlroy stands over the putt. It all comes down to this. It's just outside what you would expect to make.
Here we go...
HE MISSES
WE GO TO A PLAYOFF
Darragh Culhane
Comes down to the final putt
Somewhere between four to five feet for the win. He misses and it goes to a playoff
Darragh Culhane
Bunker shot
It all comes down to this
McIlroy has plenty of green to work from the bunker
He'll have 4-5 feet for the win
Darragh Culhane
McIlroy's approach
125 yards for McIlroy
HE HITS THE BUNKER
Darragh Culhane
Waiting for McIlroy's approach
Couldn't be more simple. McIlroy wiill have a short iron into 18. Find the green and two putts and he wins the 2025 Masters
Darragh Culhane
McIlroy tees off on 18
McIlroy takes driver
Perfect! Hopefully he the bunker won't obstruct his stance but he is on the fairway
Darragh Culhane
Now we wait
Rory McIlroy is forced to wait on the tee on 18. Four shots and he is the Masters Champion
Darragh Culhane
Clutch moments from McIlroy
It has been a day of horrible moments for McIlroy but the approach shots into 15, 16, and 17 have been huge
Darragh Culhane
McIlroy birdie putt on 17
About 4-5 feet and if you want to win a Masters you have to sink this.
He takes his time over it...HE MAKES IT!!!!!
Rory McIlroy is back in the lead!
McIlroy -12
Rose -11
Darragh Culhane
McIlroy approach onto 17
7 iron into 17 here for McIlroy and he plays a high draw, HE STITCHES IT! Great birdie chance
Darragh Culhane
McIlroy hits fairway on 17
McIlroy hits a wood off the tee and finds the fairway. He's not had a good day off the tee and will have a long way into 17. Let's see how he does with his approach
Darragh Culhane
Then there were two
Darragh Culhane
McIlroy shaves the hole on 16
McIlroy shaves the hole with his putt on 16. Aberg misses his out and he's out of contention
McIlroy, Rose -11
Aberg -9
Darragh Culhane
Rose makes birdie on 18
Well well well, a closing round 66 and a monster birdie putt on 18 for Justin Rose.
He sits tied top at -11, tied with McIlroy
Darragh Culhane
Aberg misses his birdie putt
Aberg goes for it on 17 but he misses and goes a good bit past the hole. He'll have a tough par putt. McIlroy now tees it up on 16 in the untraditional pin position on the top shelf back right.
Great shot by McIlroy, He'll have about 10 feet for birdie
Darragh Culhane
McIlroy eagle putt
He misses it on the low side. Tap in birdie to regain the lead.
McIlroy -11
Rose, Aberg -10
Scheffler -8
Darragh Culhane
Aberg hits the green on 17
Aberg goes one better than Rose and hits the centre of the green. Very much in this
