Rory McIlroy won The Masters for the second consecutive year, defeating Scottie Scheffler by one shot. This victory marks McIlroy's completion of the career grand slam at Augusta National.
Key points
Rory McIlroy won The Masters for the second consecutive year
He defeated Scottie Scheffler by one shot
This victory completed McIlroy's career grand slam
The win took place at Augusta National
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
The green jacket celebrations for Rory McIlroy and his friends and family will likely still be ongoing after his win at The Masters.
McIlroy retained the prestigious prize after emerging victorious at Augusta National for the second year running, this time defeating Scottie Scheffler by one shot.
In 2025, Justin Rose was defeated in a playoff as the Northern Irishman completed the career grand slam in dramatic fashion, fittingly at such an iconic venue.
McIlroy is now a six-time major winner, with Jose Maria Olazabal having just been tasked with ranking him among the greatest European golfers of all time.
Jose Maria Olazabal predicts more success for Rory McIlroy
It was put to the Spaniard in his opening press conference at this weekās Senior PGA Championship: āYou are obviously one of the greatest European players of all time⦠do you think Rory has surpassed everybody in that regard?ā
He responded: āWell, I think Rory has still a long ways to go. I donāt think heās going to finish here.ā
And when asked if he thinks McIlroy is now number one, he said: āI think you do have a group of players there that, you know, during the season you will see moments where certain players will be like ahead of the rest, but that will change.
āI donāt see, you know, one single player dominating the game like some other players have done in the past.
āI say this because the difference between the players of that caliber is so small these days that, you know, at any given moment any little bounce here or there might change the outcome.
āLook at Scottie. He was 12 shots behind after two days, and he was in contention. He had a great chance of winning that tournament.
āIf he makes that putt on 17, which looked in the hole for pretty much all the way, things would have been different.
āYou know, I think you do have three, four, five players that really maybe are just ahead of the rest. Itās up to the timing, the season who is hot at that moment.
āAs I said, I believe that itās very difficult to dominate the game these days with players of that level and having such little difference between them.ā
Photo by Kohjiro Kinno/Augusta National/Getty Images
Photo by Kohjiro Kinno/Augusta National/Getty Images
The European golfing legends who impressed before Rory McIlroy
Olazabal certainly knows what it takes to win The Masters, having secured both of his career major titles at the iconic tournament.
He claimed the green jacket in 1994 and 1999, with his efforts there and on the European Tour and at the Ryder Cup ensuring his presence among the all-time greats.
But his fellow Spaniard Seve Ballesteros is undoubtedly ahead of him in the list of the best European players ever, along with Sir Nick Faldo.
McIlroy, however, has arguably clinched his spot at the very top of the pile thanks to another victory at The Masters.
It is certainly an intriguing debate, but the fact that the Northern Irishman is only 36 strongly suggests that he is nowhere near finished just yet and can continue to outshine his European counterparts.
But heās definitely been able to draw inspiration from the many world-class European golfers who have come before him.
While not as successful as McIlroy, the likes of Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie also all deserve huge praise for their superb careers.
What did Jose Maria Olazabal say about Rory McIlroy's greatness?
Jose Maria Olazabal responded positively when asked if he considers Rory McIlroy the greatest European golfer ever.
How did Rory McIlroy win The Masters in 2025?
Rory McIlroy won The Masters in 2025 by defeating Scottie Scheffler in a closely contested match, finishing just one shot ahead.
What is the significance of McIlroy's 2025 Masters win?
McIlroy's 2025 Masters win is significant as it completed his career grand slam, a remarkable achievement in golf.
Who did Rory McIlroy defeat to win The Masters in 2025?
Rory McIlroy defeated Scottie Scheffler to win The Masters in 2025.
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