Staff WriterAugusta was abuzz with excitement at The Masters 2025 today, where the weather gods decided to bless us with a sunny, swirl-free finale.
In fact, The Masters 2025 began with everyone talking about the grand showdown between Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau—two big hitters expected to duke it out for that coveted Green Jacket.
Yet, golf has a funny way of turning expectations upside down. While Bryson spent “a loooong time on the range yesterday evening” trying to lock in his “face alignment,” and Rory tinkered with his Sunday morning routine—“watching Carlos Alcaraz play tennis in Monte Carlo … a little bit of soccer … a little bit of F1”—it was Justin Rose who stormed back into contention late on, and Patrick Reed who quietly snuck into third place while Bryson slipped away.
By the time the day was done, a once-certain McIlroy-DeChambeau clash had morphed into a pressure-packed playoff pitting McIlroy against Rose. And oh, did that playoff deliver.
Early-Round Fireworks
The morning sun at Augusta National was as warm as it’s been all week, prompting bold predictions of low numbers.
Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 champion, embodied that sentiment: starting the day at +5, he rattled off a six-birdie barrage to card a brilliant 66.
DeChambeau, meanwhile, had told CBS Sports he was “just excited … I’m excited for the opportunity … I’m gonna have a lot of fun today … it’s going to be a great battle.”
He and Rory both opened with early nerves, but that soon gave way to the typical Augusta theatrics—big drives, bold approaches, and putts that decide destinies.
Quotable Moments
Of course, our leading men were in the thick of it. Asked how he spent his morning, Rory calmly admitted: “Fortunately Sunday mornings are good for sport … I watched Carlos Alcaraz play tennis in Monte Carlo … a little bit of soccer … a little bit of F1 … just tried to keep myself distracted with other sports … but once you get to the golf course things kind of settle down and you get into your routine … you get going and do what’s familiar, which is comforting … just trying to go through my strategy for today … turn up with the same attitude I’ve had the last three days … I’m certainly not expecting to get off to that start again … just hitting the first fairway, the first green, then go from there … I can only control the moment that’s right in front of me … that starts on the first tee shot … if I can do a good job controlling those moments thereafter I’ll be in a good spot.”
Over on the range, Bryson was adamant that working on face alignment was the key to success: “Getting my face alignment a little more consistent … that’s what you gotta do to get your golf ball around here … hopefully it pays off today … I’m just excited … I’m excited for the opportunity … I’m gonna have a lot of fun today … it’s going to be a great battle.”
Turns out, this course had different plans for him when it really mattered.
The Field Tightens
Justin Rose, at one point well behind the leader, started reeling off birdies left and right with the calm swagger of a man who’d been here before.
Patrick Reed, the 2018 champion, quietly clawed his way up the leaderboard until he was just a whisper from the top.
As DeChambeau’s round unravelled—unfortunate pond splashes and a few heartbreaking lip-outs—Reed crept into third place, looking for all the world like he might climb even higher.
But the day’s real heartbreak might have been Bryson’s. Everything from near-genius short-game escapes to painful drops into Rae’s Creek kept his final round on a knife’s edge.
Every time he seemed to claw back, the golf gods dealt him another blow.
Playoff Tension: McIlroy vs. Rose
Then came the main event no one saw coming at dawn: a sudden-death playoff between Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose.
Moments earlier, Rory seemed one putt away from completing his career grand slam in regulation—until an uncharacteristic miss at the 18th green sent the patrons into a collective gasp.
Off to the 18th tee they went again, Rose and McIlroy squaring off in front of thousands of breathless fans.
The Deciding Blow
On the first playoff hole, the tension was so thick you could slice it with a wedge. After both men navigated the fairway and approached the green, it was McIlroy who ultimately sealed the deal.
With the nerves of a seasoned champion and a putter that finally cooperated, Rory rattled the ball into the cup to claim the Green Jacket that has eluded him for so long.
The patrons went wild. Rose showed the trademark sportsmanship we know so well, graciously congratulating Rory on the victory he’s been chasing his entire career.
Patrick Reed, finishing third, quietly tipped his cap to a day that might have gone oh-so-differently if a few more putts had dropped.
The script may have been all about Bryson and Rory at sunrise, but by sundown, we’d witnessed a playoff masterclass that culminated in a new champion—one who’s been dreaming of this moment since his first visits to Augusta as a fresh-faced prodigy.
The LIV Field: Stats and Final Results
Patrick Reed
- Finished: 3
- Sunday Round Score: 69
- Overall Score: -9
- Birdies/Bogeys/Eagles: 4-3-1
Bryson DeChambeau
- Finished: T5
- Sunday Round Score: 75
- Overall Score: -7
- Birdies/Bogeys/Double Bogey: 3-4-1
Bubba Watson
- Finished: T14
- Sunday Round Score: 68
- Overall Score: -3
- Birdies/Bogeys/Eagles: 5-1-0
Jon Rahm
- Finished: T14
- Sunday Round Score: 69
- Overall Score: -3
- Birdies/Bogeys/Eagles: 5-2-0
Tyrrell Hatton
- Finished: T14
- Sunday Round Score: 71
- Overall Score: -3
- Birdies/Bogeys/Eagles: 4-3-0
Joaquin Niemann
- Finished: T29
- Sunday Round Score: 72
- Overall Score: Even
- Birdies/Bogeys/Double Bogey: 2-0-2
Charl Schwartzel
- Finished: T36
- Sunday Round Score: 72
- Overall Score: +2
- Birdies/Bogeys/Eagles: 1-1-0
Final Thoughts
The Masters 2025 will go down as one of those tournaments we’ll be talking about for years.
From the early buzz around McIlroy and DeChambeau, to Rose’s sparkling late push, to Patrick Reed quietly nabbing third—Augusta National served up another masterpiece.
And in the end, Rory McIlroy joins the pantheon of legends, wearing a jacket that never goes out of style.
You couldn’t script it better. Then again, that’s Augusta for you. It’s where legends are forged, heartbreak is served in heavy doses, and redemption always lurks a few swings away.
Congratulations to Rory McIlroy, your Masters champion at last. May the swirl of Georgia pines echo with the roars of this unforgettable Sunday for years to come.
