It took a long damn time for Rory McIlroy to get here, but the wait was certainly worth it.
McIlroy turned another major collapse into a grand moment as he took his place in golf history as the sixth player to claim the career Grand Slam.
McIlroy did not make it easy. He lost a two-shot lead in two holes, then a four-shot lead on the back nine, and ultimately had to compete in a playoff hole to determine the winner.
McIlroy went 11 long years without a major, and he finally ended that dreaded streak.
President Donald Trump was among those who thought Rory McIlroy’s Masters win on Sunday showed exactly what the legendary golfer was made of.
Speaking with reporters on Air Force One, Trump gave his congratulations to the Irishman, who became the sixth golfer ever to capture the coveted Grand Slam, winning every single professional golf major.
REPORTER: Did you catch the end of the Masters?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Oh, I guess. Well, I have to congratulate Rory. That showed tremendous courage. He was having a hard time. But it showed great guts and, stamina and courage. People have no idea how tough that is. And he came back. He could be proud of it.
Actually, it’s better for him that it happened that way because that showed real courage to have come back from… what could have been a tragedy, was amazing. Did you watch it?
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral Golf stories via Google! Follow Us
REPORTER: Yep, we did. We were in the press van.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Pretty amazing, right?
REPORTER: We knew when you were pulling out when it was over.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Oh, no, I wanted to watch it. We’re going nowhere. You knew there was no way. Even for you people, there was nowhere. That was it. It’s one of my favorite shows ever. The Masters is, to me, maybe my favorite sporting show. And it showed in. Justin Rose was great. Look, they’re great athletes under tremendous pressure.
But unless you’re a golfer, you don’t understand it. It’s a hundredth of an inch makes a difference between a great shot and a horrible shot. Think of it. Just a little tiny, a little small percentage of an inch, and literally, in some cases, a hundred of an inch is the difference between winning and losing.
Trump also congratulated Rory on Truth Social:
Congratulations to Rory, what a great job he did! Tremendous courage and talent was on full display at yesterday’s Masters. What a WIN!!!
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) April 14, 2025
From Donald Trump Truth Social 04/14/25 10:16 AM pic.twitter.com/yGuk2alYoi
Rory McIlroy Solidified His Status As An All-Time Great
The closer Rory McIlroy came to fulfilling his lifetime dream, the more it kept slipping away.
That is what made things even more sweeter as his Masters victory showed exactly what the legendary golfer was made of as he battled through highs and lows throughout the round.
The weight of 11 years without a major win and finally collecting the career Grand Slam put his name with some of the greats.
McIlroy secured his place among golf legends and put him on a list that made him only the sixth golfer to win all four major championships.
McIlroy doesn’t plan on hanging up his shoes just yet, so he has plenty of time to add to his list of accomplishments.
