After years of heartbreak at Augusta National, Rory McIlroy finally got his hands on the green jacket—and it wasn’t without its drama.
Sunday’s final round at the Masters was anything but smooth sailing, but McIlroy held his nerve and delivered one of the most memorable victories of his career.
Emotional Highs and Lows
Reflecting on the intense day, McIlroy admitted he had doubts creeping in during the back nine.
“There were moments I honestly thought, ‘Am I letting this one slip again?’” he confessed.
That uncertainty loomed especially large after he surrendered the solo lead three times during the final round.
But with a clutch four-foot birdie on the first playoff hole, McIlroy edged out Justin Rose and sealed the deal. “It was an emotional rollercoaster,” he said.
“So many ups and downs, so many draining moments—but to be standing here as the winner at the end of the week, it’s everything.”
A Strong Start to the Year—With Bumps Along the Way
Coming into the tournament, McIlroy was already enjoying a strong season, having picked up two PGA Tour wins. Expectations were high.
But his Masters campaign got off to a shaky start, with a first-round 72 that included two double-bogeys, putting him seven shots behind the leaders.
Even on Sunday, he made things difficult for himself—opening the final round with another double-bogey and adding one more on the 13th.
That made him the first-ever Masters champion to card four double-bogeys during the tournament.
Still, he managed to stay mentally strong. “Walking off the first green, I remembered Jon Rahm making double early a couple of years ago and still winning.
That helped me keep my head in the right place,” McIlroy explained. “Resilience has always been one of my best traits.”
Overcoming Past Ghosts
McIlroy’s career has been marked by near-misses in major championships, none more painful than his infamous collapse at the 2011 Masters when he was just 21.
More recently, a crushing fade in the final holes of the U.S. Open added to the narrative of a player who struggled to close on golf’s biggest stages.
“You’ve got to be an eternal optimist in this game,” he said.
And he proved exactly that at Augusta, finally conquering a course and a tournament that had long haunted him.
Nerves, Doubts—and Pure Determination
Even after back-to-back rounds of 66 to take the lead heading into the final round, McIlroy said the pressure hit him hard. “I was incredibly nervous this morning,” he admitted.
“You could see it with that double-bogey right out of the gate.”
He described having a knot in his stomach and forcing himself to eat despite a complete lack of appetite. His legs, he said, felt like jelly.
And yet—he kept pushing. “It was a struggle,” McIlroy said. “But I got it over the line.”