This year’s Masters Tournament came down to the wire with one final putt.
Rory McIlroy, 35, shot a -11 to win the Masters, professional golf’s most prestigious tournament. McIlroy almost fell short on hole 18 when he missed a five-foot and what would have been an event-winning putt, which sent him and Justin Rose to a playoff round on hole 18 again. Hole 18 is a par 4; McIlroy would go on to shoot three for birdie and Rose would shoot four for a par, which gave McIlroy the win.
The Masters, played at the Augusta National Golf Club, has its origins in 1934.. The event was originally named the Augusta National Invitational but was rebranded to The Masters in 1939. McIlroy received around $4.2 million , according PGA Tour website. McIlroy, from Northern Ireland, has made more than $13 million in 2025.
Graham Williams, a senior boarding student, was rooting for Bryson DeChambeau or Justin Rose to win.
“I have to say that I found myself cheering for Bryson [DeChambeau] and Justin [Rose],” Graham said. “I find myself watching his [DeChambeau] YouTube channel.”
Graham also was rooting for Justin Rose because of his unique skill set.
“He [Justin Rose] is one of the few golfers left of the last generation who has a phenomenal short game and isn’t as long of a golfer as McIlroy or Dechambeau,” he said.
Though he wasn’t rooting for McIlroy, Graham is still impressed and happy to see him get a grand slam.
“McIlroy’s win [grand slam] is one of the hardest things to do in golf,” he said. “He puts himself in the select few of golfers with career grand slams.”
The term “grand slam” in golf is used when a single golfer wins all four major tournaments in one calendar year; The Masters, the Open Championship, the U.S. Open, and the PGA Championship.
Riley McDonald, a senior baseball player, watched the Masters for the first time and enjoyed it.
“I was never really into golf,” Riley said. “I didn’t really have someone to root for most of the tournament but the more I watched Rory and the history my friends told me, I definitely wanted him to win.”
Jake Smith, a senior day student, has believed in McIlroy for a long time.
“Watching the masters with my dad has been a fun tradition since I got into golf [at five years old],” Jake said. Ever since Jake watched the show “Full Swing” he has, “been following Rory very close and really wanted to see him win the grand slam.”
“Full Swing” is a Netflix docuseries following the lives of several golfers including McIlroy and Dechambeeau.
Jake was “heartbroken for the guy [McIlroy] after what happened in the U.S. open last year.”
During last year’s’ U.S. Open, McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau were back and forth but to start the 18th hole in the last round, Rory and Bryson both started at -6. Rory missed a important three foot putt for par and finish the hole with a bogey moving him to -5.
Bryson would take advantage and secure a par which kept him at -6. The -6 would be just enough for Bryson to win the U.S. Open, shattering Rory’s dreams of his first major since 2014.
