Rory McIlroy’s win on the 2025 Masters will go down as probably the most dramatic rounds of golf in Main historical past. Fortunately it culminated in him finishing the profession Grand Slam, had it not we’d nonetheless be dissecting the pitch shot to 13 and the strategy to the 72nd gap.
McIlroy truly shot 72-66-66-73 over the course of the week. From the third to the tenth on Sunday he was 4 beneath and 14-under general. He completed on -11 and gained it on the first further gap.
We have a look at seven of his most important pictures from his Masters Sunday.
1) The birdie at 3
On paper he ought to birdie this gap as a rule however this one got here after a horror begin and featured that horrible Sunday pin, reduce simply over the entrance edge. His tee shot threatened to run as much as the inexperienced, his second shot needed to be aimed 10 yards proper of the pin.
In his press convention he singled this gap out.
“The most effective shot I hit was, it may very well be the second on 7, however probably the most necessary ones for me was the second shot on 3. I began 6, 5. Hit an excellent tee shot on 3, that’s not a straightforward second shot, bumping it up that hill. To evaluate that effectively and make a 3 there, when Bryson then made 5, after which to go forward and birdie the following gap, as effectively, I assumed that was an enormous second.
“It was somewhat chip bump-and-run up the hill with a lob wedge.”
In the event you get an opportunity to look at it once more, look how far he’s aiming left with the putt and hearken to the roars.
2) The strategy to 7
On Saturday he went proper, this time he pulled his fairway wooden. From the surface it appeared like he had no shot.
“Anytime I hit it within the bushes this week, I had a spot. The second shot on 7, I in all probability shouldn’t have taken on. Harry was telling me to not. I used to be like, “No, no, I can do that.”
“I had issues all week with the seventh, 14th and seventeenth tee pictures, all going that course for some purpose – I simply struggled seeing tee pictures. I knew that the entrance bunker wasn’t unhealthy. I might have chased it up into the entrance bunker, however I noticed a spot, and I used to be like, I can truly get this on the inexperienced, and if it goes in that little bowl, it might go shut. To have the ability to pull it off was fairly cool despite the fact that I didn’t gap that putt both.”
The response to this shot, a whole lot of uncontrollable giggles, informed us lots that what was happening inside his head was not overly calm.
3) The tee shot to 12
McIlroy made 4 3s right here all week. If ever there was going to be some drama, this was a main suspect however he performed this fantastically and conservatively. Fifteen minutes later he then performed the worst shot of his whole profession.
4) The second to fifteen
That is the one which will get replayed greater than some other, given what had simply gone earlier than, the form of the shot and the magnificent setting.
“I had 8-iron in my hand, and Bryson hit first and hit it within the water. The breeze had freshened up, so I switched again to a 7 after which hit that shot. It was a type of the place I knew it was sufficient to cowl, and if it turned it, nice, and if it didn’t, you’re type of in that proper lure and it’s not a straightforward up-and-down, but it surely’s an honest miss.”
McIlroy truly missed a bundle of very makable putts and his eagle putt right here ought to slide by however the strategy shot actually bought him transferring ahead once more.
5) The strategy to 17
After a semi-weak tee shot along with his 3-wood, McIlroy unleashed an 8-iron that fell out of the sky and completed simply a few ft away. It’s the anguished cries of ‘go, go..’ that make this one stand out and left him needing ‘simply’ a easy par on the final…
6) The tee shot on 18
Issues didn’t pan out as many people hoped however the tee shot deserves a nod right here. He’s standing on the 72nd tee at his seventeenth Masters and he wants a 4 to win. And he buttons a driver, having made a large number of a whole lot of tee pictures all day.After which he misses the inexperienced with a wedge.
7) The strategy to 18, half 2
The truth that he was enjoying off with Justin Rose actually helped, plus he was the final participant off the course.
“After scoring, Harry and I had been strolling to the golf cart to carry us again to the 18th tee, and he mentioned to me, “Nicely, pal, we might have taken this on Monday morning. That was a straightforward reset.”
The strategy in actual time fanned proper into the sand however, with Rose in there shut, McIlroy made a 3 for the ages.
”I had two yards much less within the play-off than I did in regulation. It was somewhat little bit of a flatter lie, as effectively, so I knew I had an ideal three-quarter hole wedge; was going to land into the slope and are available again. So it was an excellent quantity. I simply wanted to make an excellent, dedicated swing, and I made one on the proper time.”
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