After pulling off a career-defining achievement at the Masters, Rory McIlroy has provided an insight into his mindset heading into the final round of the contest as he looked to secure victory
14:18 ET, 02 May 2025Updated 14:18 ET, 02 May 2025
Rory McIlroy won the Masters in April and has now revealed his mindset heading into the final round(Image: Getty)
After clinching the Green Jacket honors for the first time in his career, Rory McIlroy has revealed how he set himself a goal heading into the final round at the 2025 Masters.
The Northern Irishman made history at Augusta National as he became just the sixth star to complete the career Grand Slam – at the 11th attempt. The world No. 2 tallied up a staggering four major championship triumphs by the age of 25 but waited more than a decade to end his wait for a fifth.
With sporting immortality on the line heading into Sunday at this year’s tournament, he boasted a two-shot overnight lead as he vied with Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Rose for the victory. However, McIlroy surrendered his advantage after a double bogey on the first hole before losing a four-shot lead across the last six holes to force a playoff versus the latter.
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From there, he rallied back as he birdied the first hole to take the championship and join an exclusive list including Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to have won all four of the majors during the modern era. Sitting down with Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show”, the man from Co. Down revealed his relief at having pulled off a career-defining achievement at Augusta.
“It took me a while but I got there in the end. Everyone comes up to me and says you don’t know what you put us through – imagine how I was feeling!” he told the host.
Rory McIlroy is still basking in the glory of his Masters win(Image: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
“I’d go back (to Augusta) every year, I’d put my positive hat on and go there with a good attitude but every time you’d leave on the Sunday night and it hadn’t happened, and you start to think is it ever going to be your time?
“Did I miss it, have I lost my opportunity? And I think there’s a good message in that of never giving up, be strong and resilient. That patience paid off.”
Professional golfer Rory McIlroy spoke candidly during an interview with host Jimmy Fallon following his Masters win (Image: 2025 NBCUniversal Media, LLC)
Heading into Sunday at Augusta, McIlroy set himself a challenge of shooting four-under-par, which he knew would put him in prime position to clinch glory. Revealing his mindset ahead of the all-important final day at the Georgia venue, he said: “I approached that Sunday a little differently to 2011, when I had my first lead.
“I had a two-shot lead so I thought if I went out and shot four-under-par, I was probably going to win that tournament. It was a way for me to make everything else irrelevant.
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“I wasn’t going to look at what my playing partner was doing, the leaderboard, I’m going to try and get into my own world. Even when I doubled the first, I knew I could still shoot four-under-par, so that was the whole mindset behind it.
He also explained how he used his experience of previous appearances at the Masters to his advantage, adding: “I felt like I lost the Masters in 2011 because I started to look around.
“I started to look at what the other guys on the course were doing, the leaderboard, I started to do math in my head saying if he did this, then I can do that.”
Revealing what peer Woods said to him after completing a career Grand Slam, he also revealed: “(Tiger) said welcome to the club, kid. There’s six people ever who have achieved the career Grand Slam and only four of us are living – Gary Player’s 90-years-old; Jack (Nicklaus) is 85, 86; and then Tiger and myself. Really cool to be a part of.”
