Ludwig Aberg was my bet for the title. His drives were dead center, his iron shots were precise, but his putting let him down. By my count, he squandered at least five easy birdies. He had his chance until the 16th hole but completely collapsed on the 72nd with a triple bogey. Bryson DeChambeau had his moments of glory in the first two holes, but when he abandoned finesse for raw power, his chances vanished into thin air.
Rory had the Masters for the taking. All he needed to do was hit his drives into the fairway—never mind the distance—find the greens for birdie opportunities or at worst an easy par, and capitalize on the par 5s.
But against all odds, Rory started the final round disastrously, opening with a double bogey on the very first hole. He struggled on all four par 5s, including another double bogey on the 13th hole—his nemesis for two consecutive days. The rest of his round felt like a roller coaster.
Rory lost his touch off the tee, which made the final day more dramatic. After just four holes, his two-shot lead was gone. When he elected to lay up on the par-5 13th, I thought I was seeing a more mature Rory, settling down and learning from the previous day’s mistake. But then it happened. Whether it was nerves or a mental block, Rory sent his third shot into the water.
Panic set in. He failed to save bogey, and disaster struck again on the same hole, resulting in another double bogey. Suddenly, the floodgates opened for his challengers. Justin Rose, who started seven strokes behind, had been silently climbing the leaderboard. After a brilliant shot on the par-3 16th, he converted a crucial birdie to tie for the lead. Ludwig Aberg was just one shot back. A three-way battle loomed.
At this point, it was a test of nerves—who would blink first? Justin Rose was the first to falter, making a bogey on the penultimate hole and surrendering the lead to Rory, who had set up a makeable eagle chance on the 15th with a brilliant 7-iron. But he only managed a disappointing birdie.
With the championship on the line and trailing Rory by two strokes, Rose made a solid drive on the 18th, hit the green in two, and drained a miraculous birdie putt for a round of 66, pulling within one shot.
Standing on the tee box of the final hole, Rory looked composed. He casually chewed his power snack bar and took a sip from his tumbler, fueling up for the final push. The crowd roared in approval as Rory sent his drive straight down the center of the fairway.
“He just needs to find the green with his second shot from 125 yards to win the green jacket,” remarked a TV commentator.
But under immense pressure, Rory faltered, sending his second shot into the right bunker. His face remained emotionless as he walked toward the sand trap, while Rose loosened up at the practice area in anticipation of a playoff.
Rory produced a brilliant bunker shot, leaving himself a makeable putt for par. But once again, he failed to convert, carding a bogey and setting the stage for a playoff against Justin Rose.
Now came the decisive moment. Both players made solid drives and found the green in regulation, setting up a putting contest. Rose missed.
Now, everything was in Rory’s hands—his moment to claim golfing immortality.
He took a deep breath, staring at the putt that could seal his legacy. This was more than just a birdie; it was the final piece to his Grand Slam collection, a ticket to golf’s most elite club alongside Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Tiger Woods.
With unwavering focus, Rory rolled his birdie putt straight into the heart of the hole.
The crowd erupted in a deafening roar.
Finally, the green jacket was his. Finally, his name would forever be etched alongside the legends of the sport.
Finally, Rory’s Grand Slam collection was complete—the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship, the Open Championship, and now, the Masters.
Hail to the champion. One big roar for Rory. Raaaaawr!
