The Pressure’s Always There
Rory’s chase for the Masters isn’t just his own dream—it’s something golf fans everywhere have been caught up in. Since his last major win in 2014, people keep asking: Will he do it? Can he grab that last one? At 35 in 2025, he’s not the kid who burst onto the scene anymore. He’s a pro who’s been through the wringer, with 21 top-10 finishes in majors since that Open win, including coming so close at the 2022 Masters, where he was second. But Augusta’s got this knack for tripping him up, and his history there is a mix of almosts and tough days.
Think back to 2011. Rory was 21, leading by four shots going into Sunday, and it looked like his tournament to lose. Then it all fell apart—an 80, with a brutal triple-bogey on the 10th. It was rough to watch, but he bounced back like a champ, winning the U.S. Open that same year. Still, Augusta’s left a mark. In 2023, he didn’t even make the cut. In 2024, he tied for 22nd, nowhere near where he wanted to be. Every year, the spotlight gets brighter, and folks like Jack Nicklaus, who’s said Rory’s “too good not to win here,” only add to the noise.
A Year That Felt Different
Coming into 2025, Rory seemed ready. He’d already won twice on the PGA Tour—the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship. That Players win was a battle, going to a playoff with J.J. Spaun in nasty weather, and Rory gutted it out. It showed he had the heart people sometimes doubted in big moments. “I feel better about my game than ever heading into this,” he told reporters, and you could tell he meant it—not cocky, just sure of himself.
He didn’t leave anything to chance. He went to Las Vegas to work with Butch Harmon, tweaking his swing and getting his head right. He also talked with Bob Rotella, the sports psychologist who helps him tune out the chatter about the Grand Slam. “It’s all just stories people tell,” Rory said. “I’m here to play golf.” Even his practice rounds at Augusta felt lighter—he hung out with buddies like Shane Lowry, and during the Par 3 Contest, his daughter, Poppy, had everyone smiling when she sank a putt. It was like Rory was reminding himself to enjoy it.
The First Days: A Rocky Start, Then Fire
The Masters kicked off with Rory paired with Ludvig Åberg and Akshay Bhatia—guys from different generations of golf. His first round was classic Rory at Augusta: so much promise, then a couple of gut punches. He was rolling at 4-under through 14 holes, hitting bombs and sticking shots close. Then the 15th happened—a bad swing, ball in the water, double-bogey. Same thing on the 17th, another double. He scrambled for par on 18 to sign for a 72, but you could see he was ticked off, heading straight to the locker room without a word.
You heard the usual talk after that: Rory’s choking at Augusta again. But he came out Friday and shut it down with a bogey-free 66. The highlight? An eagle on the 13th, where he pulled off this wild 4-iron from the pine straw that landed close. “I thought, ‘What am I doing?’” he laughed later. “But it worked.” That round put him at 6-under, two back of Justin Rose, and suddenly everyone was buzzing about him again.
Saturday: Stepping Up
Saturday’s when you make your move at Augusta, and Rory was all in. He shot another 66, starting fast with three birdies in the first five holes. He played Amen Corner clean, which isn’t easy, and even when he bogeyed the 8th, he didn’t flinch. A birdie on the 13th kept him going, and then he dropped an eagle on the 15th with a 6-iron that was just silly good—six feet from the pin. For a bit, he was four shots clear, looking unstoppable.
But Bryson DeChambeau wasn’t going away. That guy, who’d already broken Rory’s heart at the 2024 U.S. Open with a clutch par, started making noise. Bryson’s birdie on 18 trimmed Rory’s lead to two, and you knew Sunday was going to be a fight. “It’s gonna be loud out there,” Rory said, almost excited. “I’m up for it.” It felt like a rematch, with way more on the line.
The Head Game
Augusta’s not just about hitting shots—it messes with your mind. For Rory, that’s been the real battle. Jim Nantz, who’s seen every Masters moment for years, put it best: “Rory’s carrying a load most couldn’t handle, and he still shows up.” Working with Rotella, Rory’s been trying to focus on the moment, not the past. After Thursday’s rough finish, he said going home to Poppy helped him reset. “She doesn’t care about my score,” he smiled. “Puts it in perspective.”
Nick Faldo, who’s won three Green Jackets, said Rory’s got to let go of the bad memories. “He’s got the game to do it, but the mind’s the trick,” Faldo noted. This time, Rory seemed steadier, leaning on his family and all the years he’s been through this grind.
A Tough Crowd
Rory was the story, but the 2025 field was no joke. Scottie Scheffler, the defending champ, was hanging around at 5-under despite a so-so year. Guys like Corey Conners, Ludvig Åberg, and Patrick Reed were right there, ready to pounce. Bryson and Tyrrell Hatton from LIV Golf brought some extra heat, but at Augusta, it’s just about who’s playing best, not what tour you’re on.
For Rory, this wasn’t just about a trophy. Winning would make him the first European since Faldo to get the Grand Slam, and only the sixth ever. It’d also snap a major drought that’s stretched nearly 11 years, proving he can still finish the job. “I think about that kid who said he’d win all the majors,” Rory said, talking about a video of himself at eight. “I want to make him proud.”
Sunday’s Coming
When Sunday rolled around, Rory was at 12-under, two ahead of Bryson. One round left to make history. Augusta’s back nine is where dreams live or die—every hole’s a chance to win or lose it all. Could Rory finally push past 2011, past Pinehurst? Or would it slip away again? “I know how crazy Sundays here can get,” he said. “But I’m pumped to be in the mix.”
Rory’s story is about more than golf—it’s about keeping after something when the world’s watching, waiting for you to stumble or soar. The 2025 Masters could be his moment to step into that rare air, to turn his dream into reality. As he gets ready to tee off, that kid from Northern Ireland’s still out there, hoping this is the day it all comes together.
Rory’s chase for the Masters isn’t just his own dream—it’s something golf fans everywhere have been caught up in. Since his last major win in 2014, people keep asking: Will he do it? Can he grab that last one? At 35 in 2025, he’s not the kid who burst onto the scene anymore. He’s a pro who’s been through the wringer, with 21 top-10 finishes in majors since that Open win, including coming so close at the 2022 Masters, where he was second. But Augusta’s got this knack for tripping him up, and his history there is a mix of almosts and tough days.
Think back to 2011. Rory was 21, leading by four shots going into Sunday, and it looked like his tournament to lose. Then it all fell apart—an 80, with a brutal triple-bogey on the 10th. It was rough to watch, but he bounced back like a champ, winning the U.S. Open that same year. Still, Augusta’s left a mark. In 2023, he didn’t even make the cut. In 2024, he tied for 22nd, nowhere near where he wanted to be. Every year, the spotlight gets brighter, and folks like Jack Nicklaus, who’s said Rory’s “too good not to win here,” only add to the noise.
A Year That Felt Different
Coming into 2025, Rory seemed ready. He’d already won twice on the PGA Tour—the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship. That Players win was a battle, going to a playoff with J.J. Spaun in nasty weather, and Rory gutted it out. It showed he had the heart people sometimes doubted in big moments. “I feel better about my game than ever heading into this,” he told reporters, and you could tell he meant it—not cocky, just sure of himself.
He didn’t leave anything to chance. He went to Las Vegas to work with Butch Harmon, tweaking his swing and getting his head right. He also talked with Bob Rotella, the sports psychologist who helps him tune out the chatter about the Grand Slam. “It’s all just stories people tell,” Rory said. “I’m here to play golf.” Even his practice rounds at Augusta felt lighter—he hung out with buddies like Shane Lowry, and during the Par 3 Contest, his daughter, Poppy, had everyone smiling when she sank a putt. It was like Rory was reminding himself to enjoy it.
The First Days: A Rocky Start, Then Fire
The Masters kicked off with Rory paired with Ludvig Åberg and Akshay Bhatia—guys from different generations of golf. His first round was classic Rory at Augusta: so much promise, then a couple of gut punches. He was rolling at 4-under through 14 holes, hitting bombs and sticking shots close. Then the 15th happened—a bad swing, ball in the water, double-bogey. Same thing on the 17th, another double. He scrambled for par on 18 to sign for a 72, but you could see he was ticked off, heading straight to the locker room without a word.
You heard the usual talk after that: Rory’s choking at Augusta again. But he came out Friday and shut it down with a bogey-free 66. The highlight? An eagle on the 13th, where he pulled off this wild 4-iron from the pine straw that landed close. “I thought, ‘What am I doing?’” he laughed later. “But it worked.” That round put him at 6-under, two back of Justin Rose, and suddenly everyone was buzzing about him again.
Saturday: Stepping Up
Saturday’s when you make your move at Augusta, and Rory was all in. He shot another 66, starting fast with three birdies in the first five holes. He played Amen Corner clean, which isn’t easy, and even when he bogeyed the 8th, he didn’t flinch. A birdie on the 13th kept him going, and then he dropped an eagle on the 15th with a 6-iron that was just silly good—six feet from the pin. For a bit, he was four shots clear, looking unstoppable.
But Bryson DeChambeau wasn’t going away. That guy, who’d already broken Rory’s heart at the 2024 U.S. Open with a clutch par, started making noise. Bryson’s birdie on 18 trimmed Rory’s lead to two, and you knew Sunday was going to be a fight. “It’s gonna be loud out there,” Rory said, almost excited. “I’m up for it.” It felt like a rematch, with way more on the line.
The Head Game
Augusta’s not just about hitting shots—it messes with your mind. For Rory, that’s been the real battle. Jim Nantz, who’s seen every Masters moment for years, put it best: “Rory’s carrying a load most couldn’t handle, and he still shows up.” Working with Rotella, Rory’s been trying to focus on the moment, not the past. After Thursday’s rough finish, he said going home to Poppy helped him reset. “She doesn’t care about my score,” he smiled. “Puts it in perspective.”
Nick Faldo, who’s won three Green Jackets, said Rory’s got to let go of the bad memories. “He’s got the game to do it, but the mind’s the trick,” Faldo noted. This time, Rory seemed steadier, leaning on his family and all the years he’s been through this grind.
A Tough Crowd
Rory was the story, but the 2025 field was no joke. Scottie Scheffler, the defending champ, was hanging around at 5-under despite a so-so year. Guys like Corey Conners, Ludvig Åberg, and Patrick Reed were right there, ready to pounce. Bryson and Tyrrell Hatton from LIV Golf brought some extra heat, but at Augusta, it’s just about who’s playing best, not what tour you’re on.
For Rory, this wasn’t just about a trophy. Winning would make him the first European since Faldo to get the Grand Slam, and only the sixth ever. It’d also snap a major drought that’s stretched nearly 11 years, proving he can still finish the job. “I think about that kid who said he’d win all the majors,” Rory said, talking about a video of himself at eight. “I want to make him proud.”
Sunday’s Coming
When Sunday rolled around, Rory was at 12-under, two ahead of Bryson. One round left to make history. Augusta’s back nine is where dreams live or die—every hole’s a chance to win or lose it all. Could Rory finally push past 2011, past Pinehurst? Or would it slip away again? “I know how crazy Sundays here can get,” he said. “But I’m pumped to be in the mix.”
Rory’s story is about more than golf—it’s about keeping after something when the world’s watching, waiting for you to stumble or soar. The 2025 Masters could be his moment to step into that rare air, to turn his dream into reality. As he gets ready to tee off, that kid from Northern Ireland’s still out there, hoping this is the day it all comes together.
