By William Andrews

“The long journey is over. McIlroy has his masterpiece!” 

This is a quote from legendary golf announcer Jim Nantz moments after Rory McIlroy sunk the winning putt in the 2025 Masters Championship on April 13. The Masters is not only one of the most coveted events in golf, but rather in all of sports. 

The Masters takes place in Augusta, Georgia, at Augusta National Golf Club. When major champion Bobby Jones retired from professional golf in 1930, he had his sights set on building a golf course. He met with his friends Clifford Roberts and Thomas Barrett, Jr., and they collectively decided on a plot of land near Augusta called Fruitland Nurseries. The club officially opened in January 1933. In 1934, Jones and Roberts decided to host an annual golf tournament, calling it the Augusta National Invitation Tournament. Five years later, the name was changed to the Masters Tournament. Ever since the tournament was established in 1934, it has occurred annually during the first week in April, except in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

There are multiple ways to qualify for the tournament. The top 50 players in the world according to the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) are allowed to participate, as well as previous Masters champions and winners of the other major tournaments. The champions of the US Amateur, the British Amateur, the Asia-Pacific Amateur, and the Latin America Amateur Championship receive invites as well. The Masters Committee can also extend special invitations to other players who did not previously qualify. 

Augusta National Golf Course. Image courtesy of @themasters via instagram.

The traditions that occur at the Masters are prestigious. Each champion is awarded the green jacket, one of the most iconic trophies in sports. Champions also receive a lifetime exemption to participate in the tournament, meaning they can play in the tournament even if they do not meet the standards to qualify. On the Tuesday night before the tournament, the Champions Dinner takes place. This is a gathering of all former Masters champions, where the previous year’s champion chooses the menu for the dinner. Once the tournament begins, no cell phones are allowed, creating a distinct atmosphere that allows the fans, known as patrons, to focus on the tournament without distractions. 

Each year, over two million people enter into the Masters ticket lottery in hopes of being able to attend the tournament. The odds of winning the lottery are around 1/200, or 0.5%. 

As opposed to other PGA tournaments, the Masters does not sell the domestic television rights for the tournament. Rather, they give them away for free in exchange for control over the broadcast. The Masters makes most of its money from merchandise, which brings in nearly 70 million dollars in sales annually. 

The Masters encourages players all over the world to start their golf careers. Owen Herring (‘25) said, “This year’s tournament motivated me to start playing golf.” He has quickly found the joy in golf that so many others find. In a May 2022 Match Honors feature article, Tyler Brand (‘22), who currently plays NCAA golf for Dartmouth College, wrote about the legendary course and his distinct experience with the tournament and his love for golf. 

This year’s tournament was quite eventful and came down to the wire. The tournament lasts four days, and only the top 50 players advance into the weekend rounds. Heading into the tournament, American Scottie Scheffler, ranked #1 in the world, was the favorite to win, having won in 2022 and 2024. English golfer Justin Rose led the first round after scoring -7, tying his career low round at the Masters. Leading into the weekend, Rose retained his lead at -8, with Bryson DeChambeau and McIlroy just close behind. McIlroy surged into the lead on Saturday, posting a score of -5 to bring him to -12 overall, a two-stroke advantage over DeChambeau. Scheffler played consistently each round, finishing the tournament at -8; however, he was never really within reach of the leaders. 

The final round was exhilarating. McIlroy double bogeyed the first hole, tying him with DeChambeau. DeChambeau began to fall as the round continued, while McIlroys’s score fluctuated, with plenty of birdies and bogeys. Approaching the final hole, McIlroy held a one stroke advantage over Rose, who finished with an overall score of -11. Needing a par, McIlroy hit his approach shot into the bunker. His bunker shot left him with five feet for the win. He pushed his putt to the left of the hole, leaving himself with a bogey. 

McIlroy celebrating his win. Photo courtesy of @themasters via instagram.

When two players are tied after four rounds, they enter into a sudden death playoff, alternating between hole 18 and hole 10 until a winner is determined. The Masters is the only major tournament to have a sudden death playoff. On their first hole, both players hit tee shots that landed in the fairway, with Rose’s on the right side and McIlroy’s in the center. Rose hit first, his approach shot landing 15 feet from the hole. McIlroy then hit his shot, likely his finest of the tournament, landing just three feet from the hole. Rose knew he had to make the putt if he wanted the playoff to continue but ultimately pushed the putt just an inch to the right of the hole. McIlroy had his opportunity and tapped in the birdie putt to win the playoff and the 2025 Masters. McIlroy fell down in tears on the green as the crowd erupted behind him. 

McIlroy had previously won the three other major golf championships: the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014, the US Open in 2011, and the Open Championship in 2014. He just needed the Masters win to complete a career grand slam, joining just five other golfers who have completed the feat: Tiger Woods, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus. After searching for a Masters win for 11 years, McIllroy is now definitely in the pantheon of golf legends.

Featured image courtesy of @rorymcilroy via instagram.