2025 Masters Champion Rory McIlroy Chronicles His First Green Jacket

Rory McIlroy discusses his incredible weekend en route to his first Green Jacket. #themasters

—

Since 1934, the Masters Tournament has been home to some of golf’s greatest moments. Amidst blooming azaleas, towering pines and flowering dogwoods, the first full week of April ushers in a stage unique to golf and to sport. Over four days and 72 holes, the smallest field in major championship golf competes for a chance to capture the Green Jacket and a place in Masters history.

—

View scores, player information, patron information, watch live and more: https://masters.com
Follow @themasters on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themasters/
Follow @TheMasters on Twitter: https://twitter.com/themasters
Follow @TheMasters on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMasters/
Follow @TheMasters on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@themasters

[Applause] Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It’s a privilege to welcome our 2025 Masters Champion, Rory Mroy. Congratulations on winning the 89th Masters in dramatic playoff fashion. You’ve now completed the career grand slam. Please share with us your thoughts at this moment. Um, I’d like to start this press conference with a question myself. What are we all going to talk about next year? Um, it’s uh, look, it’s it’s a dream come true. I have I’ve dreamt about that moment for as long as I can remember. Um, I mentioned it out in the prize ceremony, but watching Tiger here in 1997 do what he did and and winning his first green jacket, I think that inspired so many of my generation to to want to emulate what what he did. And um, you know, there were points in my career where I I didn’t know if um I would have this nice garment over my shoulders, but uh, I didn’t make it easy today. I certainly didn’t make it easy. I um I was nervous. It was one of the toughest days I’ve ever had on the golf course in a funny way. I feel like the double bogey at the first sort of settled my nerves. Um and it’s funny walking to the second te the first thing that popped into my head was John Ram a couple years ago making double and going on to win. So, you know, I at least my mind was in the right place and was at least thinking positively about it. But um just a a complete roller coaster of a day. Um you know it felt it was it was very tricky out there. It it almost felt more like a US Open than a than a Mast’s at at some points just with how firm and fast the greens got. But um yeah, just really proud of of how I bounced back from um you know from the double on one from the double on 13. Um, I don’t know if I don’t know if any Masters champions had four doubles during the week, but um, maybe I’m the first. Uh, but yeah, just a just a complete roller coaster of emotions today. And, um, and honestly, you know, what came out of me on the on the last screen there in the playoff was um, you know, at least 11 years, if not 14 years of pent up emotion um, you know, since 2011. And I think it’s it’s so ironic as well. I got to my locker this morning and I opened it up and there was a note in there from Ankel Cabera and just wishing me luck and Ankl Cabrera was the player I played with in the final day in 2011. Um so just a it was sort of it was a nice touch and and and a little bit ironic at the same time. And um it’s been 14 long years but thankfully I’m uh I got I got the job done. who won. Well done, Rory. Yeah. Um, just expanding on that and and now you’ve done it, c can you expand on the level of difficulty or torture or what it’s been like coming back here every year, people speaking about you winning it, not doing it, and I suppose you probably couldn’t say things at the time that you that you thought. How difficult was that in in reality? It’s very difficult. I think it’s it’s I’ve I’ve carried that burden since August 2014. It’s been 11 years. It’s nearly 11 years. Um, and not just about winning my next major, but the career grand slam, you know, trying to join a group of five players to do it. Um, you know, watching a lot of my peers get green jackets in the process. Um, yeah, it’s it’s been difficult and I’ve tried to approach this tournament with the most positive attitude each and every time that I’ve shown up. And I think just the the sort of cumulative experience that I’ve gained coming back here each and every year. Um I just I feel like I get a little more comfortable with the shots needed. Um you know I talked about it at the start of the week but you know there’s talking about it and actually doing it and yeah today was today was difficult. I was unbelievably nervous this morning. Um really nervous on the first hall. um as you witnessed with the double but as I said that sort of can be down and you know I was able to bounce back and and show you know that resilience that I’ve talked about a lot and um yeah no look it was a it was a heavy weight to carry and you know thankfully now I don’t have to carry it and it frees me up and you know I know I’m coming back here every year which is lovely an congratulations Rory no extraordinary achievement comes easy right so um can you describe how hard you’ve worked for this and how you’ve managed to keep the faith. Yeah. Um, look, you have to be the the eternal optimist in this game. You know, you have to and I I’ve you know, I I’ve been saying it until I’m blue in the face. I I truly believe I’m a better player now than I was 10 years ago. And, you know, I I just, you know, it’s so hard to stay patient. It’s so hard to keep coming back every year and trying your best and not being able to get it done. And um you know there was points on the back n today. I I thought you know is you know have I let this slip again. Um but I you know again I responded with some clutch shots when I needed to and um you know really proud of myself for that. But yeah just yeah it’s it’s been a emotionally draining week for um a lot of reasons. a lot of just roller coaster rounds and late finishes and so just you know absolutely thrilled to be sitting here at the end of the week as the last man standing. Alex Miselli Rory you just said it where you times today you thought maybe you kind of let it slip by. Can you talk about before the double at 13 when Bryson was clearly falling off and you were pretty much on your own. What happened in your mind when you started when that happened and then you saw all those guys coming after you? Yeah, I um I mean I was I thought I played the 13th hole smartly, at least for the first two shots, you know, threewood off the tea, laid it up into a good position. Um I had 82 yards to the pin. It had like it went into a little valley and it was on the ups slope and usually when I hit wedge shots off up slopes, they come out a little bit left on me. So, I give myself like a couple of yards of room to the right. Like, obviously, I wasn’t aiming at the creek, but it just it came out, you know, a little weak and a little right. And, um, yeah, that was, you know, to make to make a double there. Um, when it’s a, you know, when it’s a birdie chance, um, you know, and then seeing what what Rosie was doing and also what Ludvig was doing at the time as well. Um, but at the same time, I knew I had 15 to play. Um, you know, the boogie didn’t help on 14 either, but I I still felt like, you know, I still felt after the T-shot in 15 that I was still in it. You know, I think the the one hole that I was not worried about, but was was sort of in the back of my mind was 16 because that was a unusual Sunday pin on 16. Um, probably for the 50th anniversary of Jack Hole on that, you know, on 75. So that was the one I’ve I’ve that’s a very difficult hole location and and to hit the the shot that I did I think the iron shots that I hit coming in um you know 15 16 17 not quite at the the last in regulation but the you know in in the playoff um you know I made a lot of good iron swings and um you know I I think over the last I don’t know how many years it it seems that the people that lead approach at this golf tournament are the ones that usually go on to to win or have a very good chance. And um you know I think my approach play for the most part this week was was very good and um you know that showed on the on the last few holes. John Rory, if you could go back in time and see yourself here on Sunday night in 2011, what would you see and what would you say? Uh I would see a young man that didn’t really know a whole lot about the world. Um, I would uh yeah, I’d say I’ I’ I probably would see a young man with a lot of learning to do and a lot of growing up to do and and um and also I so I and and maybe I probably didn’t understand myself. I didn’t understand why I got myself in a great position in 2011 and I probably didn’t understand why I let it slip in a way. Um but I think just having a little more sec self-reflection um you know that experience going through the the hardships of tough losses and and all that um yeah I would you know and I would say to him just stay the course just keep believing. Um, you know, and I would say that to any young boy or girl that’s listening to this or, you know, I I’ve I’ve literally made my dreams come true today. And, um, I would just I would say to every boy and girl listening to this that, you know, believe in your dreams and if you work hard enough and you put the effort in that you can you can achieve anything you want. Gabby Hersigory. Um, for those of us who will never know what it’s like to step up on a first tea, um, with a two shot lead at the masters with the career grand slam on the line, can you just walk us through what you were feeling? What how did those nerves manifest? What were the bodily sensations that you were feeling? What tea? First tea. Oh, the first tea. Um, yeah, everything that you would, you know, nod in your stomach, you know, I haven’t really had much of an appetite all day. um tried to force food down. Uh yeah, your your you know, your legs feel a little jelly like and you know, it’s it’s those those nerves that are that are natural and you know, they’re all good things. You know, if you weren’t feeling like that, that’s I think that’s more of a problem than when you do feel them. But, uh, it’s just a it’s such a battle in your head of just trying to stay in the present moment and just trying to hit this next shot good and then hit the next shot good. And, you know, it just that’s, you know, that was that was the battle today. My battle today was with myself. It wasn’t with anyone else, you know, at the end there. I was with Justin, but um you my my battle today was with my mind and and staying in the present and um I’d like to say that I did a better job of it than I did, but it was it was a struggle, but you know, I I got it over the line. Johnson, Rory, congratulations, by the way. Um excuse me at tardiness. Did anybody ask you about the second shot on 11 yet? Not yet. Okay. Um, I I feel like when you win golf tournaments, when anybody does, you need a few good breaks. I I felt like today on five, not only having the shot to get it out of there, but also where your ball ended. And then when you looked at what happened to you on 11, could you see that ball stop? And if you could, what was going through your mind when you saw that ball stop almost on the bank? Yeah, I uh Yeah, look, I’ve I’ve rode my luck all week. Um, and again, I think with the things that I’ve had to endure over the last few years, I think I deserved it. So, so yeah, I, you know, anytime I hit it in the trees this week, I had a gap. Um, even the second shot on seven today, which I probably shouldn’t have taken on. It was Harry was telling me not to. I was like, “No, no, I I can do this.” Um, so yeah, I rode my luck all week and and you need that little bit of luck to to win these golf tournaments and um I didn’t see the ball in 11, but I heard the sort of groan of the crowd as it was rolling towards there and then the cheer when it stopped and then I you know I obviously saw it. I actually Bryson hit a shot in the water and I was looking at my ball thinking like is that going to stay like should I run down and hit it like should I go down and hit it and hit out a turn just to make sure it doesn’t roll in. But I got down there and it was it was on a pretty it was like on a little flat spot so it was okay. But um yeah, it was was quite fortunate. Jeff, uh Rory, a couple more shots back to seven. It looked like after that shot your your body language really changed. You I think tipped your cap maybe to Bryson or somebody over there. Do ah Doy. Yeah. Um so that shot um and then also the shot on 15 today even though he didn’t make the eagle putt. Um it looked like a huge draw. Can you just take us through kind of the dynamics of both shots cuz they’re kind of iconic I think they Yeah. Um so seven um you know I I’ve had I had problems all week with the seventh 14th and 17th T-shots all going that direction for some reason. I just I had I just struggled seeing T- shots. Um, and when I hit a left, uh, you know, I I knew where the pin is, so so or I knew where the pin was, so I I knew that the, you know, front bunker wasn’t bad. Um, I could have chased it up into the front bunker, but I saw a gap and I was like, well, I I could actually get this on the green and if it gets in that little ball, it could go close. So, um, it was actually a very similar shot to the shot I played yesterday on seven from the right trees. Just opened up a nine iron and and hit it as hard as I could. So, um, but to be able to pull it off was was was pretty cool, even though I didn’t hold that putt either. Um, and then 15, uh, I think it was an advantage. I had eight iron in my hand and Bryson hit first and hit it in the water. You know, the breeze had just sort of freshened up, so I switched back to a seven and then hit that hit that shot. It was one of those where I knew it was enough to cover and if it turned great and if it didn’t, you’re sort of in that right um right trap. and it’s a not an easy up and down, but it’s a it’s a decent miss. So, that was that was the the sort of mindset on on that one. Jim Rory, congratulations. Can you describe the internal feeling of joy and relief when you hit your knees on the 18th hole when it was over in the playoff? That was all relief. There wasn’t much joy in that reaction. It was all relief. Um, and then then you know the joy came pretty soon after that. But uh that was I’ve been coming here 17 years and you know it was a it was a good a decade plus of emotion that was um that that that came out of me there. What did you say to Justin and vice versa? I just um I congratulated him on a great week. Um, I said it’s we so how iron ironic how these things happen. We uh we were invited to a dinner by a few members of the club uh on Tuesday night and we were the the only two players at at that table and we are the ones that end up being in the in the playoff. It’s just it’s funny how these things work but uh he’s he’s a great champion. He has displayed so much uh grace throughout his his career. Um you know, selfishly I was happy that it was another Euro in the in the playoff. Um we’re on a good run at the minute. We’re you know, Ryder Cup year and all that. So, um, but yeah, you know, Justin’s a a great champion and I remember watching the playoff in 17 when he um when he went up against Sergio and and that didn’t quite go his way either, but he’s he’s had a phenomenal record around here and um you know, I I feel for him a little bit because he’s been so close, but um yeah, you know, he’s he’s a good friend and um yeah, hopefully he has a few more opportunities. Adam. Very quick detail. What’s the size of your jacket? Uh, I think it’s a 38 regular. How did you regroup after missing the putt on 18? Uh after scoring, Harry and I were walking to the the golf cart to bring us back to the 18th TE and he said to me, “Well, pal, we would have taken this on Monday morning.” I’m like, “Yeah, absolutely. We would have.” So, you know, that was that was an easy reset. He basically said to me, “Look, you you would have given your right arm to be in a playoff at the start of the week.” So, um, that sort of reframed it a little bit for me. And, um, yeah, I, you know, again, I just kept telling myself just make the same swing you made in the in regulation. And I had a great drive up there and, um, yeah, and the rest is history. And what would you say has been the low point during this this drought? Um there’s uh there’s there’s been a few. It’s hard because like I’ve played so much good golf. Um it’s hard to call the second place finishes and the you know, you know that St. Andrews was a tough one to take um because you only get a few opportunities there um you know during the course of your career. Uh the US Open last year was awful. [Music] Um but yeah, you know, the losses are the losses are hard and you know, again, just so proud of myself that I keep coming back and putting myself in positions to to win these these these championships. John Patrick, congratulations. Rory, you made 30 threes this week and a couple. Is that good? Yeah, that’s good. Okay. And there were a couple of other numbers in there too. Couple of sevens. How how did you navigate the second nine? Was there a lot of positive talk? How did how did you just get through the up and up and down of the second nine? So I uh when I I birdie 10 um and boogied 11, which was which was fine, and then made a really good three on 12. Hit it where you’re supposed to hit it, two putt, move on. So, I really walking to the 13th T, I was thinking to myself, I can play the next three holes in 444. That was what I was thinking. Um, didn’t quite materialize that way, but I was really just trying to break it down into into threes. Um, you know, I feel like I played 10, 11, 12, well, I was trying to play 13, 14, 15 well. It didn’t quite materialize. And then I, you know, I I played the I played 16 and 17 well. didn’t didn’t feel like I played the 18th badly um and had a chance to win in regulation, but yeah, I basically just broke it down into the three whole stretches. Brendan Quinn, hey Roy, uh earlier this week you were asked about um Jack and Gary Player and Tom Watson all picking you and rooting for you and you definitely deflected the question. Uh, and I wonder now if you can kind of speak to, I don’t know, the burden that comes with history, the burden that comes with fellow greats or guys you want to count yourself amongst. Uh, what does that feel like? It’s tough. It’s, you know, you’ve had, you know, Jack, Gary, Tom, Tiger, you name it, come through here and all say that I’ll win the Masters one day. That’s a that’s a hard load to carry, you know, especially, you know, it is. It really is. And um you know, these are idols of mine and it’s it’s look, it’s very flattering that they all come up here and they believe in me and they believe in my abilities to to be able to, you know, win this tournament and, you know, achieve the Grand Slam and all that, but it, you know, it doesn’t help. you know, I wish they didn’t say it, but um but you know, I I I think as well as as the years have went on, I’ve I’ve just become more accustomed to to the noise that sort of surrounds my whole M’s week and, you know, I’ve become a little more, you know, comfortable with it. Chris Rory, just curious what uh what you think the best shot you hit today was and and why you feel that way. The best shot I hit today was uh it could be the second on seven, but I think the most the one of the most important ones for me was the um the second shot on three. You know, I I started 65, hit a good T- shot on three. Um, that’s not an easy second shot bumping it up that hill, you know, to to judge that well and make a three there when Bryson then made five and then to go ahead and birdie the next hole as well. I I thought that was a that was, you know, it was very early in the round, but it was a huge moment. Aman Lynch Dory, you and Harry grew up together in a tiny town playing childhood games together. What does it feel like to have him standing beside you today when you achieved that childhood dream? Amen. Um, yeah, I’ve known Harry since I was 7 years old. I met him on the putting green at Hollywood Golf Club. We’ve had so many good times together. You know, he’s been like a big brother to me the whole way through my life. and to be able to to share this with him after all the close calls that we’ve had, all the crap that he’s had to take from people that don’t know anything about the game. Um, yeah, this one, you know, this one is, you know, just as much his it is as it is mine. Um he’s a massive part of what I do and um I couldn’t think of anyone better to um to share it with than him. Mike Keegan, congratulations. Um I just wondered if you could talk us through your plans for tonight and the next few days. Um I can’t imagine you’ll be finishing that John Gisham anytime soon. Uh I I don’t know. Um I’ll stay here tonight. Um, I’ll I’ll probably head home to um to Florida tomorrow. Um, and I’d really I’d really love to see my mom and dad. They’re back in Northern Ireland. So, um, maybe a trip back home at some point during next week. Will you be taking the green jacket to Old Trafford? Uh, if it can inspire some better play. Absolutely. Just a couple more questions. Claire, congratulations, Rory. Um, where does this rank among the best days of your life? And just how proud of yourself are you? Uh, it’s up there. Um, you know, I’m not going to compare it to life moments like a marriage or having a child. Um, but it’s the it’s the best day of my golfing life. Um, and yeah, I’m I’m very proud of myself. I’m proud of um never giving up. I’m proud of um how I kept coming back and dusting myself off and um not letting the the disappointments really get to me. Um talking about that eternal optimist again and um yeah, very proud. Well, Rory, before we go, uh, could you take us through which clubs you use for the birdies as well as in the playoffs, just so we have that for Sure. Um, so the birdie on three, I talked about a little, you know, was a little chip, uh, bump and run up the hill with a lob wedge. Uh, I hit a five iron on the fourth hole. Uh, the ninth hole, um, I hit a like a 3/4 lob wedge in there. The 10th I hit a eight iron. Um the 15th I hit a seven iron for my second shot approach. Uh and then on 17 I hit a eight iron. And in the playoff And in the playoff I hit a a gap wedge. Um yeah. Great. Well Rory, thank you and congratulations on Thank you. [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music]