Rory McIlroy sent fans into meltdown on Sunday with a horror Masters moment on 18, as he agonizingly extended his wait for a first Green Jacket.
With Justin Rose one stroke behind at 11-under, McIlroy just needed a par to avoid a playoff, but flubbed a putt from about five feet out to ultimately bogey the hole and send the tournament to a playoff.
Fans were left in disbelief as McIlroy’s would-be storybook moment went horribly wrong – before he held in his composure in a nerve-wracking playoff to ward off Rose for good and complete a career Grand Slam.
‘Oh my goodness Rory,’ one fan said on X after his miss.
‘Death. Taxes. A Rory choke job,’ another said.
‘RORY WHAT ARE WE DOING,’ a third added.
Rory McIlroy reacts after missing a put on the 18th hole that would have won the Masters
McIlroy tapped in a short putt afterwards to send the tournament to a playoff vs. Justin Rose
A fourth said, ‘ I DON’T EVEN F*****G LIKE RORY MCILROY AND I WANT TO THROW UP.
‘Jesus he missed it,’ another began. ‘Don’t know how Rory recovers from this.’
The blunder on 18 came after his second shot landed in the bunker, though he did well to splash out of the sand trap and give himself a chance to putt home for glory.
However, McIlroy was unable to hold his nerve and wound up bogeying on the hole after tapping in a short putt.
He wouldn’t make the same mistake in the playoff after a beautiful approach shot set him up for birdie again, from even closer than where he missed from moments before.
McIlroy’s win came after four double bogeys this week – including two on Sunday – and fans marveled at his resilience as he celebrated emotionally at Augusta.
McIlroy ultimately held his nerve in the playoff as he birdied for his first Masters win
It is the first Masters win of Rory’s career and it completes his career Grand Slam
‘Rory Mcilroy take a bow. Arguably the most bravest performance i’ve ever seen in sport,’ one wrote.
‘I [don’t care] what anyone says Rory McIlroy is the definition of mental strength. One of the greatest of all time,’ another added.
‘The greatest sporting event I’ve ever watched,’ a third said. ‘A rollercoaster of emotions, it had everything. The pressure on Rory, and he got it done. Absolute Cinema.’
