McIlroy holding the trophy with his daughter Poppy and his wife Erica. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

BY THE TIME Rory McIlroy was 25, he had won three of the four major golf titles needed to claim the coveted career Grand Slam.

In men’s professional golf, the four most prestigious events are made up of three held annually in the United States; The Masters, The PGA Championship and The US Open, and one held in Britain or Ireland, The Open Championship.  

McIlroy won the US Open in 2011, followed by the PGA Championship a year later, and then in 2014 he claimed The Open – McIlroy would also add another PGA Championship title in 2014.

Rory McIlroy reacts after winning in a playoff against Justin Rose at the Masters Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

All that was needed to complete the career Grand Slam of golf’s major championships, and to join an exclusive list of only five other men, was the Masters.

But this title proved elusive and he came up agonisingly short on several occasions.

“This is my 17th time here, and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time,” said McIlroy after his Masters win at the Augusta National Golf Club yesterday.

His victory at the Masters puts McIlroy in elite company.

In the modern Grand Slam era, defined as being the period from the first Masters in 1934 onwards, only five other men have achieved this feat.

Rory McIlroy has cemented himself amongst golf's greatest 👏

He's just the sixth men's golfer to complete the career Grand Slam 🏆#themasters pic.twitter.com/RQ7HUUiNMx

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 13, 2025

Gene Sarazen was the first to achieve a career Grand Slam with his Masters title in 1935, followed by Ben Hogan in 1953.

South African Gary Player claimed his Grand Slam in 1965, followed by Jack Nicklaus in a year later in 1966.

This feat wouldn’t be repeated for another 34 years when golf icon Tiger Woods won The Open on 2000.

Tiger Woods after winning The Open at St Andrews in 2000 Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

And then followed another quarter-of-a-century wait for another golfer to join this historic list, a wait that ended yesterday at Augusta.

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But rather than cruising to victory, McIlroy defeated Justin Rose on a playoff hole.

Tommy Fleetwood said the manner of victory was “McIlroy’s career in a nutshell” while Shane Lowry remarked that it was a “very Rory McIlroy way of doing it”.

“My dreams have been made today,” said McIlroy during the Masters’ trophy ceremony and once he had donned the famous green jacket, he turned to his daughter Poppy and said: “Keep coming back, keep working hard and if you put your mind to it, you can do anything.”

Gratitude to his family. Advice from a champion. #themasters pic.twitter.com/jYBe6ryMXH

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2025

“Watching Tiger (Woods) here in 1997 do what he did, winning his first green jacket, I think that inspired so many of my generation to want to emulate what he did.

“It feels incredible. This is my 17th time here and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time.

“The last 10 years coming here with the burden of the grand slam on my shoulder and trying to achieve it, I wonder what we’re going to talk about going into next year.

“I’m absolutely honoured, thrilled and proud to be able to call myself a Masters champion.”