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Rory McIlroy etched his name into the history books at Augusta National last month. For starters, he became a member of one of the most hallowed, revered groups in golf: the Masters champions.
Beyond that, he became a part of an even more exclusive group: those who've completed a career Grand Slam. McIlroy had been searching for this since 2014, but he finally achieved the feat and became the sixth ever golfer to do it.
In doing so, he also got his name literally etched into history. His name is physically on the permanent Masters trophy at Augusta now. Golf reporter Josh Carpenter wrote on X:
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"The coolest thing in the Augusta National clubhouse. The permanent Masters trophy, which is made from 900 pieces of silver. Now has Rory McIlroy's name etched into it."
McIlroy's last major win prior to 2025 came at the Open Championship all the way back in 2014. He'd come close to winning some events, including the Masters, since then, but wasn't able to get over the line.
That was until 2025, when he finally accomplished his historic goal. It was not without its challenges, though. McIlroy lost a two-stroke lead over Bryson DeChambeau in the first two holes. He then built up another lead and watched it slip.
Then, on the 18th, he missed a putt that would've won it, instead settling for a birdie at the same hole to defeat Justin Rose in a playoff.
Rory McIlroy on what's next after Masters win
2025 has been a historic season for Rory McIlroy. He had three wins by the middle of April, and one of them was a win he'd sought for decades. Still, it is not the end of the line for the Northern Irishman.
He still has lofty goals and wants to keep winning, but he admitted earlier in May that he's not sure anything he does now will live up. McIlroy said via ESPN:
"I still want to create a lot of other highlights and high points, but I'm not sure if any other win will live up to what happened a few weeks ago. I'm still going to set myself goals. I'm still going to try to achieve certain things. But I sit here knowing that that very well could be the highlight of my career."
He added:
"I've tried not to watch it a lot because I want to remember the feelings. But anytime I have, I well up. I still feel like I want to cry. I've never felt a release like that before, and I might never feel a release like that again. That could be a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and it was a very cool moment."
Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson each need one more Major win to complete the Grand Slam, but it certainly looks as if McIlroy will be the only one to do that for a long time.
