Rory McIlroy admitted he was worried he wouldn’t win the Masters until he completed a career Grand Slam during the “best year” of his golf career.
With his dramatic victory at Augusta National in April, McIlroy became the sixth male golfer in history and the first European to complete a Grand Slam. He defeated Justin Rose in a playoff, ending his 11-year wait for a fifth major title.
Between his success at the 2014 PGA Championship and winning the green jacket, McIlroy, ranked No. 2 in the world, had gone winless in 21 top-10 majors, including six at the Masters, and had been under intense scrutiny after several near-misses in previous attempts.
Rory McIlroy completes career Grand Slam at Masters
McIlroy was unable to extend his four-stroke lead on the final day of the 2011 Masters and was in the final group alongside Patrick Reed on Sunday of the 2018 tournament, but with his 2025 win he became the first player to join a Grand Slam club since Tiger Woods.
“Oh, I never thought that moment would actually happen,” McIlroy told Sky Sports ahead of a new documentary, McIlroy ’25: A Career Year, which will be released this month. “I felt like I had a lot of opportunities.
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A look back at Rory McIlroy’s best shots from his historic Masters victory
“I finally won the Masters when I was 35, but I had a chance when I was 21. I had a chance when I was 28. I had a few chances in between, but as your career progresses, it feels like those opportunities are closing down.
“Going into that Sunday, I said, ‘Is this my last chance? Is this my last chance?’ Bryson was in the final group and it was right after Pinehurst in 2024 (US Open), so I think there was a lot of riding that day.
“Well, I had my doubts before that, but I had to put it all to the back of my mind and just go out and try to play good golf. I don’t think I actually did it. I did it in some parts, but not in others.”
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2025 Masters winner Rory McIlroy sits back and reflects on his win at Augusta after years of disappointment.
McIlroy grabbed a two-stroke advantage during Sunday’s roller coaster and was briefly in the lead by four, but after bogeying the 11th, he fell into the water at the par-5 13th for a double bogey.
His next shots were canceled out by birdies at Nos. 15 and 17, but on the 72nd hole, McIlroy made a close-range birdie on the first playoff hole to cancel out the bogey and spark an emotional celebration.
“The backlash was the same for years of going there and trying and failing, but also the years before that when I was sitting in the family room with my dad in Hollywood,” McIlroy explained.
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Highlights from the final round of the Masters at Augusta National, where Rory McIlroy beat Justin Rose in a playoff to complete a career Grand Slam.
“We watched the Masters as young boys, as fathers, and all we thought about was one day playing in that tournament, and all of a sudden we went from playing to trying to win, and then we had that moment.
“I remember being with Harry (Diamond, caddy) when Tiger (Woods) chipped in on 16 against Chris DiMarco in 2005. We were watching it together. I had that reaction, got up, turned around, and who was the first person I saw? It was Harry.”
“All I can think about is how lucky I am for this to happen, because I don’t think there are many other people in the world of golf or in the world of golf who can experience the moments and sensations that I had that Sunday on the 18th green at Augusta.”
Why McIlroy’s 2025 means more than a 2014 major
The Masters glory was part of a remarkable 2025 for McIlroy, who also won the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players, followed by an epic playoff win at the DP World Tour’s Amgen Irish Open.
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Iona Stephen and Paul McGinley look at how Rory McIlroy eagled the 18th hole in regulation play before defeating Joachim Lagergren in a play-off at the K Club to win the Irish Open.
It’s been two years since the Northern Irishman contributed to Europe’s historic Ryder Cup success at Bethpage Black, contributing 3.5 points in a 15-13 away win over Team USA and predicting a historic win on American soil in the 2023 champions’ press conference.
“I think I’ve always believed that (winning a Masters and Ryder Cup double) was possible. If I didn’t think it was possible, I wouldn’t have said it,” McIlroy explained. “Every time we turn the page of a new calendar year, different goals, hopes, and dreams emerge.
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Team Europe talks about what it means to play alongside Rory McIlroy in the Ryder Cup
“We felt like we were able to end 2024 in a really good way and be able to carry that momentum into the start of 2025. We got off to a great start this year and gained some confidence early on, and then we were able to carry that confidence to the end.”
McIlroy won his seventh Race to Dubai title of the DP World Tour season, ending the campaign with the 36-year-old proud of his 2025 achievements.
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See the best shots of Rory McIlroy’s five major wins, including the winning shot at Augusta National.
“You could say I won more majors in 2014, but I feel like this is my (best) year because I achieved what I felt like I needed to accomplish in my career: win the Masters, win the Ryder Cup away and win the National Open,” McIlroy insisted.
“If I’m just looking for big moments, if that’s what my career is all about for the next 10 years, if these big moments are interspersed, you can’t get three bigger moments than the one I had this year.
“That made this year my best year yet.”
Watch McIlroy ’25: A Career Year, a new documentary looking back on his historic 2025, on Sky Sports this Christmas. The show will premiere on Sky Sports Golf on Tuesday at 9pm and will be broadcast repeatedly throughout the festival. Get Sky Sports now and stream without a contract.
