AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 13: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates after the first playoff hole and winning the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 13, 2025 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Rory still choked. But Rory McIlroy still won the Masters Sunday. How can that be? How can someone choke and still win the Masters? You'd be correct in asking that very question. It would be next to impossible to choke and still win. But McIlroy found a away.
Let's forget Thursday's opening round how he got within three strokes of the lead and then double bogeyed two of the last four holes. Let's fast forward to the back nine on Sunday. McIlroy had a comfortable 4 stoke lead with 8 holes to play.
RORY STILL CHOKED
On 13 he wisely layed up. But his approach was a nice easy wedge shot would to put him on the green. Yet he inexplicably hit it to the right and into the creek. The shot was inconceivable. It was nothing short of a choke. He double bogeyed. His lead was gone.
Still, to his credit he bounced back and grabbed the lead with a birdie on 17. Finally, on 18 all of his demons were about to be slayed. He had never won at Augusta. He had blown leads there before. The Masters was the only piece of the career Grand Slam that eluded him. Only five others had accomplished that in the history of golf. Now he just had to sink a 5 foot putt and the glory would be his. Rory still choked. He missed it.
He fell into a tie and with Justin Rose who was eagerly waiting for a Sudden Death playoff on the 10th hole. There, Rose's approach shot on 10 was great. But Rory's was better. He birdied the hole. Rose made par. And just like that, even though Rory still choked, he won the Masters. In the end it was one of the most entertaining Masters victory of all time!
For more Masters golf talk tune in each week day to Craig Shemon and Company from 2-6pm on ESPN Southwest Florida.
