Rory McIlroy wins the Masters, becoming the 6th golfer to achieve a career Grand Slam

Updated April 13, 2025 at 21:06 PM ET

The 2025 Masters tournament has come to a thrilling end after four days of competition.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland claimed victory, becoming the sixth golfer in history to achieve a career Grand Slam.

The final round at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia began with intense focus on McIlroy and American golfer Bryson DeChambeau in a captivating rematch of last year's U.S. Open, where DeChambeau narrowly defeated McIlroy by just one stroke.

But in a dramatic twist, DeChambeau stumbled on the course while England's Justin Rose delivered a brilliant final round. After 72 holes, Rose and McIlroy were tied for the coveted green jacket — kicking off a nail-biting playoff where the Irishman took victory.

Rounding out the top five were Americans Patrick Reed, Scottie Scheffler, and South Korean golfer Im Sung-jae, who along with DeChambeau, tied for fifth.

The 2025 Masters is the first major championship of the year, featuring 95 contenders. Notably absent from this year's Masters was five-time green jacket winner Tiger Woods, who was unable to compete as he is recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon.

McIlroy claims his first first green jacket after 17 attempts

Northern Ireland's McIlroy was not just vying for a green jacket this Sunday — he was looking to cement his legacy. A win at The Masters completed the career Grand Slam, making McIlroy one of the elite few to crush all four major golf championships: The PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, The Open Championship and The Masters.

Aside from McIlroy, only five men have achieved this feat: South African Gary Player and Americans Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, according to the PGA Tour. By winning on Sunday, McIlroy also became the first player to secure the career Grand Slam at a Masters tournament.

The 2025 Masters marked McIlroy's 17th attempt to win a green jacket. Yet, the 35-year-old Irishman played some of his best golf to date at the tournament. He already made Masters history by becoming the first player to start a round with six consecutive 3s.

Additionally, before the tournament began, McIlroy and is 4-year-old daughter Poppy may have also created one of the cutest moments at a major championship when she nailed an impressive putt at the Par 3 Contest.

Copyright 2025 NPR