“Never, ever give up on your dreams,” said Rory McIlroy, beaming in the Green Jacket, to his daughter. The 11-year quest of Rory McIlroy to win the green jacket and his fifth major title is finally over. It was a beautiful sight to see the Irishman finally wearing the green jacket.

Overwhelmed with emotion, he struggled to speak during the green jacket ceremony. But his victory wasn’t the only unforgettable moment. from the Masters’ final round—there were plenty more. The Golf gods have graced plenty more. In 1992, Fred Couples’ tee shot somehow stuck on the bank above Rae’s Creek (the par-3 12th hole) – defying gravity. He saved par and won his lone major. It was the Augusta magic. So, what about this year? Well, here’s a look!

The ups and downs of Rory McIlroy at Augusta National

Rory McIlroy’s final round can be considered a test of patience for the patrons. The golfer started with a disappointing double bogey on the first hole. He had carded two eagles in the third round, and everyone thought that a better start wouldn’t happen. However, the anxiety didn’t last for too long. To recover from his double bogey, he fired two birdies back to back on Flowering Peach and Flowering Crab Apple.

Just as the patrons started to get excited, the morale went down again. McIlroy shot another double bogey on the 13th. But the highs and lows continued, and the Irishman lit up the crowd with his birdies on Firethorn and Nandina. One can easily say, patrons were unable to relax even for a minute as the golfer gave them a continuous adrenaline rush.

Patrick Reed’s solo third finish

Patrick Reed was off to a rough start. He carded a 71 in the first round, and however he had an incredible start in the second round. Not long after the first hole, he fired an eagle at Pink Dogwood. However, bogeys on the 4th, 7th, and 12th forced him to finish with a 70. Despite that, the LIV Golfer was determined and started to climb the leaderboard.

Thanks to five birdies, Patrick Reed recovered a little and finished with a 69. But the actual clutch came in the final round. He started with a bogey on the 1st hole itself. Things went even more downhill after he fired another on Flowering Peach. After that, it was time for a comeback. The LIV Golfer fired four consecutive birdies from the 6th to the 9th. While it wasn’t, he also graced the greens with an eagle on Nandina to finish solo third.

Justin Rose shot a 20-foot birdie

Rose struggled in the third round, carding five bogeys for a 75. It’s tough to bounce back from that—unless you’re Justin Rose. Just as it seemed the Irishman was pulling away, Rose found his rhythm. He delivered a brilliant final round, racking up nine birdies before the 18th. Needing one more to force a playoff, he came through with a clutch 20-foot birdie on the par-4 18th, finishing with a 66 and reaching 11-under in the clubhouse.

In the heart-pounding sudden-death playoff, both Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy striped their drives down the fairway. Rose’s approach settled 15 feet from the flag—respectable, but McIlroy answered with a dart to just 3 feet. Rose’s birdie bid grazed the edge, but it wasn’t to be. McIlroy, seizing the moment, sank his putt and etched his name into history with a long-awaited Green Jacket and the elusive career Grand Slam.

For Rose, it was heartbreak once again at Augusta—a third runner-up finish that speaks to both his brilliance and the cruel poetry of golf. Still, his sensational Sunday charge, capped with that clutch 20-foot birdie on 18, reminds us: never count out Justin Rose when the azaleas are in bloom.

Rory McIlroy vs Bryson DeChambeau

McIlroy held a three-shot lead at 12-under over DeChambeau, and the tension began to build on the very next hole. The Irishman sank a birdie, while The Scientist missed left of the green, hit his second shot to 12 feet, and settled for a two-putt. Later, the two were tied on a hole, trading matching pars on the par-4 fifth. At this point, the Irishman was still holding on to his three-stroke lead over the scientist. At the par-4 seventh, McIlroy and DeChambeau were matching pars.

However, the 2025 masters champion pulled his tee shot into the left trees but managed to launch a short iron high into the air. It landed just a few feet from the pin. Interestingly, the ball rolled to 8 feet but left the birdie putt short, and then he tapped in for par. As for DeChambeau, he found a bunker with his second from the fairway but still managed to deliver the third shot to 3 feet using the slope.

The tournament-winning birdie putt by Rory McIlroy

Rory! Rory! Rory! Cheer immediately went silent after the Irishman bogeyed the final hole, and Justin Rose also caught up with a 20-foot birdie. The tensions were high as no one wanted Rory McIlroy to choke once again after coming this close. At the same time, Rose’s putt had also shown that things could still go his way.

The hole-by-hole playoff began, with the Irishman needing just a par on the 72nd hole to clinch the Masters and complete the Career Grand Slam. He striped his tee shot straight down the middle on the par-4 18th. Witnessing this, CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz said, “What a time to deliver this,” as Rory McIlroy finally won the green jacket.

Which one was your favorite moment from the final round of the masters? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!