Inside the final round of Rory McIlroy's 2025 Masters victory (part 3)

) The 89th Masters was far from settled when Rory McIlroy steered his drive into the left side of the fairway at Firethorn, the par-5 15th, and had overhanging pine branches interfering with his direct line of attack. Padraig Harrington, who was glued to his TV set in Ireland, observed that playing conservatively was McIlroy’s kryptonite, but the aggressive play was right in his wheelhouse and he conjured up a daring, slinging 7-iron from 207 yards that hooked some 20 yards around limbs and pine needles and rolled 6 feet from the cup. “That shot was definitely Monte Carlo or bust,” said Nick Faldo, who served as lead analyst for Sky TV’s Masters coverage in Europe.

“I think that was right up there in the top half-a-dozen greatest shots we’ve seen over the years, and, more importantly for him, the greatest seven-iron he’s hit in his life. ” To hear McIlroy recount the 15th hole contained some of the best nuggets Faxon hadn’t heard. For the first time all day, McIlroy had outdriven Bryson DeChambeau, which meant he would play second into the green.

DeChambeau’s last-ditch effort to mount a charge flew at the flag, but the wind picked up and his ball hit the bank and rolled back into the water. McIlroy took notice and switched from 8-iron to 7-iron, and that made all the difference. “If I hadn't seen Bryson hit first,” McIlroy said, “I definitely would have hit my second shot in the water.

” Almost forgotten in the aftermath of such brilliance is the fact that McIlroy missed the eagle putt but still regained the lead at 11 under. At Redbud, the par-3 16th, he drilled another beauty to 9 feet but failed to convert his birdie effort. Not Justin Rose – after a bogey at 17, he curled in a 20-footer for his 10th birdie of the round and 66 to claim the clubhouse lead.