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During a recent appearance on The Tonight Show, Rory McIlroy took a nostalgic trip down memory lane when he reattempted his childhood "washing machine" challenge. This was after he completed a career Grand Slam by winning the 2025 Masters at Augusta National last month.
Host Jimmy Fallon surprised McIlroy by referencing his appearance on the Northern Irish talk show Kelly. A clip of the show from decades ago was played in which a young McIlroy explained how he honed his short game, saying:
"I chip balls into me mom's washing machine."
A small clip of him chipping balls in a washing machine was also played. Fallon recreated the entire setup with a washing machine, a hall carpet, and a bucket of balls, and teased:
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"Since you’re a Masters winner now, I thought maybe it'd be fun to go back to where it all started."
The duo then played a lighthearted competition in which the first to chip three balls into their washing machine wins. McIlroy said:
"As the Masters champion, I should not lose to you."
After missing the second chip, McIlroy joked:
"I was better when I was 8"
McIlroy easily emerged victorious. The video of the clip can be watched below:
On the show, McIlroy also talked about the difference in his approach compared to his previous attempts, like in 2011, when he first had a chance to win with a two-shot lead going into the final round. He said that as he thought shooting 4-under would likely secure victory, he blocked out everything else.
"I'm not going to look at what my playing partner is doing. I'm not going to look at the leaderboard. Literally I'm going to try to get into my own world. If I shoot 4-under par today, I'm going to win the Masters," he added (2:28 onwards).
Rory McIlroy said that even after double-bogeying the first hole, he told himself he could still shoot 4-under par, which remained his mindset. He scored 3-under 75 in the final round but won the major championship in the playoffs.
Rory McIlroy reflects on his 17-year-long quest for Masters glory
Rory McIlroy made his 17th start at the Masters this year. He had come close to winning on various occasions, especially in 2011. He eventually tied for 15th at the tournament after a disastrous final round of 8-over 80.
On The Tonight Show, Rory McIlroy reflected on his lengthy quest to win the Masters and complete his career Grand Slam.
"So, yeah, it was 17th time playing the tournament. On my third time playing, way back in 2011, I had a four-shot lead going into the final round, wasn't able to win," he said (0:49 onwards).
"And, you know, I'd go back every year and I'd, you know, put my positive hat on and I'd go with a good attitude and, you know, every time, I'd leave on that Sunday night and it wouldn't happen. And you start to think, you know, is it ever going to be your time?" he added.
Rory McIlroy became the sixth person to complete the career Grand Slam, joining the likes of Gene Sarazen, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Tiger Woods.
