McIlroy breaks Masters drought with remarkable victory in a play-off

The 35-year-old fell to the ground in relief after his putt dropped, having watched a five-foot par attempt on the same hole slide by minutes earlier that would have sealed the triumph in regulation.

Tiger Woods was the last man to complete the set of all four majors when he dominated the British Open in his first attempt at the career grand slam in 2000.

“It was 14 years in the making; I feel like I could have got it done there,” McIlroy said of the 2011 Masters fadeout that has haunted him.

“There was a lot of pent up emotion that just came out on that 18th green

“A moment like that just makes ... all the close calls worth it.”

Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus are the only other members of the career grand slam club.

The rollercoaster final day started with McIlroy two shots clear of Bryson DeChambeau (seven under) with the American briefly leading after just two holes before fading as the chasing pack surged.

Leading by four after the 10th, he dropped a shot on the 11th and then inexplicably found water with a wedge despite laying up on 13th.

That fourth double bogey for his tournament is now a quirky record among champions.

When his curling putt on the 14th sat on the lip of the cup but didn’t drop and he’d lost the lead.

Rose, who led for a record fifth time after the first round, bogeyed the 17th but then drained a 20-foot putt on the 18th to heap pressure on the leader.

McIlroy found the sand with his wedge approach and then pulled his par putt to fall into the playoff.

He delivered again with an iron, as he had done with scintillating approaches to the 15th and 17th for birdies, to secure victory.

The whirlwind began on Thursday when McIlroy went back to par with a pair of double bogeys and sat seven behind fast-starting Rose.

Only Nick Faldo in 1990 and Woods in 2005 had previously come from that far back after the opening round to win.

But McIlroy launched his comeback with a back nine of 31 and exploded out of the blocks with a record six consecutive threes to start on Saturday.

“All week I responded to setbacks,” he said.

Patrick Reed (nine under) holed out for eagle on the 17th to finish outright third.

Scottie Scheffler (eight under) was fourth and Australian Jason Day dropped shots on the last two holes to finish five under and in a tie for eighth.

Rose fell just short of executing the second-biggest Masters comeback after starting the final day seven shots behind.

The former world No.1, US Open and Olympic champion, joins Greg Norman as a three-time Masters runner-up and Ben Hogan as the only loser of multiple playoffs after his 2017 defeat to Sergio Garcia.

Min Woo Lee, Australia’s only other cut survivor, was two over on Sunday to finish six over for the tournament in 49th.

AAP

Hole No.4 (par three) - birdie (-12): Iron off the tee clears the bunker and on the green for a mid-length putt. It goes in. At this point, McIlroy has made up for his six on the first. He leads by four strokes.

Hole No.5 (par four) - par (-12): An errant drive goes into the trees but McIlroy can see a break. His second shot gets near the green and he goes up and down for a clutch par.

Hole No.6 (par three) - par (-12): Iron shot just misses green. Two putts. Nice, steady golf at this point.

Hole No.7 (par four) - par (-12): McIlroy’s drive goes left. He hits his second over the trees and it nearly goes in. His two-metre birdie attempt breaks sharply and comes up short.

Hole No.8 (par five) - par (-12): Battles his way to a five. Third shot (wedge) short of pin. Two putt. Four pars in a row now.

Hole No.9 (par four) - birdie (-13): Monsters a driver down the fairway and hits his approach pretty close after it sucks back down the hill. Great putt. Finishes with 35 on the front for a four-shot lead at the turn.

Hole No.10: (par four) - birdie (-14): Good drive and accurate iron shot despite McIlroy letting a hand off the club. Drains a mid-range putt to head to -14. He looks untouchable at this point.

Hole No.11: (par four) - bogey (-13): McIlroy’s second shot almost rolls into the water near the green. His chip comes up short, and he misses the par putt. One dropped.

Hole No.12: (par three) - par (-13): Hits the famous green and two putts. A confidence restorer as Justin Rose continues his run.

Hole No.13 (par five) - double bogey (-11): This is where the problems start. McIlroy’s tee shot is good and he lays up in front of the water. His third shot (wedge) somehow finds the water. It’s an ugly double bogey that stuns the gallery.

Hole No.14 (par four) - bogey (-10): Tee shot goes in the pine straw down the right. He lays up and finishes with a five.

Hole No.15 (par five) - birdie (-11): Hits a ridiculously good second shot, bent around a tree, to set up an eagle putt. Settles for a birdie.

Hole No.16 (par three) - par (-11): Safe approach shot and two putt.

Hole No.17 (par four) - birdie (-12): Hits his second shot close and drains the putt to take a one-shot lead. Has one arm inside a green jacket.

Hole No.18 (par four) - bogey (-11): A good drive but poor second shot which ends up in the bunker. Gets out and leaves himself just over a metre to win the Masters. It misses. Heartache as we go to a play-off.

First play-off hole (18th) - birdie: Drives it to the same spot and hits an unbelievable iron, this time straight at the pin. Rose misses his birdie putt and McIlroy makes up for his earlier mistake by hitting the back of the cup. He is overcome with emotion after a rollercoaster day.

“When I hit the wedge shot into the creek on 13, I thought I did a really good job bouncing back from that and also the double bogey on the first.

“I was really nervous going out. It was almost as if the double bogey at the first calm my nerves a little bit and got me into it in a funny way.

“[On the play-off hole] I just needed to make a good, committed swing and I made one at the right time.

“It was 14 years in the making from going out with a four-shot lead in 2011 and feeling like I could have got it done there. There was a lot of pent up emotion that just came out on that 18th green.

“A moment like that makes all the years and all the close calls worth it.”

• 2016: Tied 10th – R1: 70, R2: 71, R3: 77, R4: 71 | Total: 289

• 2017: Tied 7th – R1: 72, R2: 73, R3: 71, R4: 69 | Total: 285

• 2018: Tied 5th – R1: 69, R2: 71, R3: 65, R4: 74 | Total: 279

• 2019: Tied 21st – R1: 73, R2: 71, R3: 71, R4: 68 | Total: 283

• 2020: Tied 5th – R1: 75, R2: 66, R3: 67, R4: 69 | Total: 277

• 2021: Missed cut – R1: 76, R2: 74 | Total: 150

• 2022: 2nd place – R1: 73, R2: 73, R3: 71, R4: 64 | Total: 281

• 2023: Missed cut – R1: 72, R2: 77 | Total: 149

• 2024: Tied 22nd – R1: 71, R2: 77, R3: 71, R4: 73 | Total: 292

• 2025: Winner – R1: 72, R2: 66, R3: 66, R4: 73 | Total: 277