THE agonising wait is over for Grand Slam glory is lastly over – however solely after Rory McIlroy put his military of followers via the Main mincer but once more.

McIlroy did his finest to throw away a Masters he had in an iron grip for many of the last day at Augusta, with a rampant Justin Rose wanting to seize a inexperienced jacket he has been sizing up for the final ten years.

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It went to a play-off between the Ryder Cup team-mates, after McIlroy had missed a 5 footer for par on the 72nd inexperienced that might have erased the necessity for additional time.

On the first play-off gap, Rose seemed to have turned the screw by hitting his strategy shot to round 15 ft – just for McIlroy to fireside his second shot to inside a yard of the flag.

Rose knew he needed to make his putt to remain alive within the play-off – however watches in agony because it slid to the precise of the outlet.

Absolutely McIlroy couldn’t waste a second golden probability to assert that elusive inexperienced jacket. Might he.

Fortunately not. And the relieved famous person clutched his head, sank to his knees and wept brazenly on the Augusta turf.

It took a couple of seconds earlier than he might get to his ft and embrace caddie Harry Diamond, and the unlucky Rose.

An incredible Masters, and an important winner. What extra might you ask for?

Rose has now completed second thrice at Augusta – and in a pulsating climax he was not the one hazard, as McIlroy appeared decided to lengthen the agony for his military of supporters for so long as attainable. 

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Final yr’s runner-up Ludvig Aberg was additionally snapping at McIlroy’s heels in a end that had everybody on the sting of their seats.

However after throwing away a 4 shot lead on the again 9 – largely due to a few weird choices on the par 5 thirteenth – McIlroy produced two moments of brilliance that rescued him from one other Masters meltdown.

The primary got here on the par 5 fifteenth, a gap the place McIlroy was cursing after a double bogey on day one, and celebrating after an excellent eagle within the third spherical.

Twenty 4 hours earlier, McIlroy took purpose from 220 yards and hit his second shot to inside six ft of the flag, earlier than casually stroking residence the pout. 

This time, after discovering himself in a three-way tie for the lead with Rose and Aberg, McIlroy was 11 yards nearer to the inexperienced.

However his strategy shot got here out precisely the identical, a factor of magnificence that landed softly on the inexperienced and completed two yards from the goal.

With a lot at stake, McIlroy was much more cautious with the putter, and prodded it to inside kick-in vary for the birdie that put him again on high of the leaderboard.

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However there was one other twist to return, as Rose rammed residence a twenty footer for birdie on the final to hitch McIlroy on 11 beneath par.

So it was over to you once more Rory, who knew any errors over the ultimate three holes might show deadly for his hopes of lastly ending his 11 yr anticipate the one Main that had eluded him thus far.

McIroy, 35, has develop into an avid Bridgerton fan through the build-up to this Masters. If the favored interval drama might generate this degree of pleasure it might double its rankings.

After a par at 16, McIlroy discovered the magic contact once more with one other wonderful strategy to the seventeenth. 

Everybody at Augusta – and tens of millions of Rory followers hiding behind the sofas in entrance of their TVs – held their breath as he stood over the 4 footer for birdie.

In it went, the patrons right here erupted, and McIlroy himself puffed out his cheeks in aid.

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That meant he needed to make par on the final to disclaim Rose a play-off. However he discovered a bunker together with his second shot, and when he splashed out he was confronted with the putt each golfer desires of – a 5 footer to win the Masters.

McIlroy fluffed his strains, however in some way he conquered these jangling play-off nerves nerves and received the job completed.

And he has lastly taken his appointed place in golf’s most elite society, as his one shot victory made him solely the sixth participant to finish the profession Grand Slam.

Eleven years after his final of his 4 earlier Main triumphs, golf’s golden boy has been re-born as a seasoned warrior.

It has been an extended and painful journey for McIlroy to hitch Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Participant, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen as the one golfers to have their names on all 4 Main trophies.

In typical McIlroy trend, there was additionally an almighty early wobble to beat, and a loopy again 9 determination that price him a 3rd double bogey of the week. 

Nevertheless it was price it ultimately.

And regardless that the world rankings is not going to acknowledge the very fact simply but – as a result of they’re primarily based on outcomes over two years – the world No 2 is certainly the best golfer on the planet.

He has now gained thrice within the States already. World No 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler – who completed right here – is but to open his account

This victory was the final word roller-coaster as McIlroy performed the primary two holes to give up the 2 shot lead he began with, conjured up 4 birdies to get it again, after which threatened to throw it away at 13.

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After deciding to not go for the inexperienced in two, he took direct purpose on the flag as an alternative of taking part in to the centre of the inexperienced, to offer himself an extended birdie putt. It will have taken six – or seven! – out of the equation. 

However he was clearly not pondering straight – and he didn’t hit a straight shot both.

His ball bounced off the financial institution into Rae’s Creek, and McIllroy signed for a seven.

That opened the door for Rose, who had come storming out of the pack.

The dogged English star’s perception that he might nonetheless add to his 2013 US Open victory regardless that he’s now 44 was so practically vindicated.

His closing 66 was worthy of profitable any Main. He performed the ultimate 12 holes in six beneath par – combining EIGHT birdies with a few bogeys.

However ultimately it was solely adequate for him to complete second finest, simply as he did in 2025 and 2017. 

This was McIlroy’s time. Ultimately!