Rory Mcilroy drives during a practice day for the 2013 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club. Photo Available under Creative Commons CC By 2.0 – No Changes Made
Rory Mcilroy is professional golfer who plays on the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour. Mcilroy’s last major win was the PGA in 2014. His win at Augusta National marks his fifth major win, ending 11-year drought, and joins an exclusive list of players with a career grand-slam.
“The long journey is over. Mcilroy has his masterpiece,” A Sports Broadcaster, Jim Nantz said
Following the winning putt, Mcilroy fell to his knees and celebrated the victory with his caddie.
Rise to Success
Rory Mcilroy is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland, one of the highest players on the PGA Tour and ranked number two in the world according to the Official World Golf Ranking. Mcilroy’s win at the Masters follows a dominant start to this year’s golf season. Along with wins at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship. The five-time major tournament winner has become the face of the PGA Tour. He has become the sixth person ever to achieve a career-grand slam, having recorded wins in every major tournament on the PGA Tour.
Rory has faced narratives surrounding his inability to win an additional major in 11 years. Recent comments saying this was his year to win the coveted green jacket. With his win at the Masters this year, Mcilroy has established his presence in the lens of the media. Now he jokes he will not be in the spotlight next year.
“A tradition unlike any other,” Jim Nantz said
Mcilroy achieved his historical career-grand slam by winning The Masters Tournament. One of the most popular sporting events in the United States.
Masters Tournament
Professional golfers and a handful of amateurs compete in the Masters Tournament each year. Unlike the other three major tournaments in professional golf, the PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open Championship, the Masters is held at the same golf club each year, and is an invitational tournament. Those who compete are invited by the Masters Committee. Players qualify for an invitation to the Masters through a list of 20 qualifications. These exemptions include being in the top 50 on the Official World Golf Rankings, a past champion of the Masters and a number of qualification pathways for amateurs.
The extensive selection process for the competition field yields 96 invitees in 2025, and five of them are amateurs. There are ways to qualify for the Masters, but notably, past champions have a lifetime invitation to the tournament. In addition to qualification through the PGA Tour, and past champions, there are two international amateur tournaments that grant the winners an invitation to the tournament.
“When you walk from the practice putting green through the patrons to the first tee, you definitely know where you are,” Jordan Speith said, according to Masters.com.
Popularity
The Masters is held annually at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The players compete the first full week of April. The course is internationally recognized for its architecture, layout and traditions. Professional golfers that participate in the tournament understand the significance of playing at the course, and traditions have developed since the course’s construction in the early 1930s.
The Masters has gained popularity due to its setting, course, traditions and elite skill level that the competitors surround themselves with. The highlight reels, memorable moments from top players fighting for a victory keeps the crowd and draws millions of views each year. The winner of the tournament receives a green jacket, entry to the other major tournaments on tour and a lifetime invitation back to the Masters.
