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A Sunday for the Ages: The Thrilling Finish to the 2025 Masters

Rory McIlroy has finally claimed his green jacket. It didn’t come easy — nothing ever does for him in a major — but one of golf’s all-time greats broke through on Sunday at Augusta, where he beat Justin Rose in a one-hole playoff to complete the career grand slam.

At long last, Rory McIlroy has his green jacket. It didn’t come easy — nothing ever does for him in a major — but one of golf’s all-time greats broke through on Sunday at Augusta, where he beat Justin Rose in a one-hole playoff to complete the career grand slam.

McIlroy appeared to have the 2025 Masters title locked up three different times on Sunday, and three different times, he fumbled it or had it snatched away. With eight holes left, he held a five-shot lead. Then came a bogey on 11, a double-bogey on 13 (his fourth of the week) and another bogey on 14. Oh no, not like this.

McIlroy hadn’t just been caught, he’d lost the lead entirely to a suddenly surging Rose, who’d come from seven down on the back nine to take charge. Frantic finish: Rory birdied 15 and 17 to regain control … Rose drained a 20-foot birdie putt on 18 to up the pressure … McIlroy was in position to win on the 72nd hole … but he missed the four-foot par putt, sending the 89th Masters into overtime.

The playoff hole: Yahoo Sports’ Jay Hart, reporting from Augusta:

Rory McIlroy stood over his ball in the 18th fairway at Augusta National, reeling. Over the course of the previous 90 minutes, he’d bungled away a 5-shot lead, well on his way to the biggest choke job of his career — and maybe any in the 89-year history of the tournament. Then he launched a 126-yard gap wedge high into the Augusta sky that settled four feet from the cup.

For the rest of his career, he will not hit a more important shot, for this one righted his sinking ship straight out of Rae’s Creek and into Butler Cabin.

What he’s saying: When his winning putt disappeared into the hole, McIlroy let out a primal scream, fell to his knees and wept. “There wasn’t much joy in that reaction. It was all relief,” he said. “It was a decade-plus of emotion that came out of me there.”

What’s Next?

The PGA Tour season officially kicked off in Hawaii, where Hideki Matsuyama (-35) won The Sentry and set the Tour’s 72-hole scoring record. He had 33 birdies, 2 eagles and 2 bogeys. Ridiculous.

NBA and NHL Updates

CP3 Makes History

Chris Paul became the first NBA player to make all 82 starts in his 20th season or later.

USA Wins at the Women’s Hockey World Championship

The Americans won Sunday’s group stage game to stay perfect at the tournament.

Raised to the Rafter

The Bulls will retire Derrick Rose’s number next season, raising his No. 1 jersey to the rafters alongside Michael Jordan (No. 23), Scottie Pippen (No. 33), Jerry Sloan (No. 4) and Bob Love (No. 10).

NFL Playoff Picture

Bring on the Playoffs

Sunday concluded the 2024 NFL regular season, which featured one of the closest MVP races in recent memory, a host of rare statistical milestones and a historic finish last night in Detroit.

The playoffs are set: The final two postseason spots were decided on Sunday, as the Buccaneers clinched the NFC South and the Broncos finally snapped their eight-year playoff drought.

Title Odds and MVP Race

The Lions are the favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy (+280 at BetMGM), followed by the Chiefs (+350), Ravens (+600), Bills (+600), Eagles (+700), Vikings (+1600), Packers (+1800), Buccaneers (+3000), Chargers (+3500), Rams (+3500), Commanders (+3500), Broncos (+8000), Texans (+8000) and Steelers (+10000).

Did Lamar Jackson do enough in the past month to wrest the MVP away from Josh Allen?

Jackson: Baltimore’s dual threat QB is not only the first player with at least 4,000 passing (4,172) and 900 rushing yards (915) in a season, but also the first with 40+ TD (41) and fewer than five INT (4). He added four rushing TDs and posted a career-high 119.6 passer rating.

Allen: Buffalo’s signal-caller sat Sunday’s game, ending the year with 3,731 yards, 28 TD and 6 INT, plus 531 rushing yards and 12 scores on the ground. While Jackson has better numbers, it’s important to note that Allen sat roughly 11 quarters this season with the game (or playoff spot) already in hand.

Honorable mention: Saquon Barkley, who also rested on Sunday, became the ninth member of the 2,000 yard club; Joe Burrow led the league in passing yards (4,918) and TD (43).

Season in review: Rodgers’ last stand? Aaron Rodgers’ future, as both a Jet and in the NFL, is up in the air. If Sunday was his swan song it was quite a coda: He posted his first 4 TD game since 2021 and became the fifth QB in NFL history with 500 career TD passes.

A Sunday for the Ages: The Thrilling Finish to the 2025 Masters

Rory McIlroy has finally claimed his green jacket. It didn’t come easy — nothing ever does for him in a major — but one of golf’s all-time greats broke through on Sunday at Augusta, where he beat Justin Rose in a one-hole playoff to complete the career grand slam.

At long last, Rory McIlroy has his green jacket. It didn’t come easy — nothing ever does for him in a major — but one of golf’s all-time greats broke through on Sunday at Augusta, where he beat Justin Rose in a one-hole playoff to complete the career grand slam.

McIlroy appeared to have the 2025 Masters title locked up three different times on Sunday, and three different times, he fumbled it or had it snatched away. With eight holes left, he held a five-shot lead. Then came a bogey on 11, a double-bogey on 13 (his fourth of the week) and another bogey on 14. Oh no, not like this.

McIlroy hadn’t just been caught, he’d lost the lead entirely to a suddenly surging Rose, who’d come from seven down on the back nine to take charge. Frantic finish: Rory birdied 15 and 17 to regain control … Rose drained a 20-foot birdie putt on 18 to up the pressure … McIlroy was in position to win on the 72nd hole … but he missed the four-foot par putt, sending the 89th Masters into overtime.

The playoff hole: Yahoo Sports’ Jay Hart, reporting from Augusta:

Rory McIlroy stood over his ball in the 18th fairway at Augusta National, reeling. Over the course of the previous 90 minutes, he’d bungled away a 5-shot lead, well on his way to the biggest choke job of his career — and maybe any in the 89-year history of the tournament. Then he launched a 126-yard gap wedge high into the Augusta sky that settled four feet from the cup.

For the rest of his career, he will not hit a more important shot, for this one righted his sinking ship straight out of Rae’s Creek and into Butler Cabin.

What he’s saying: When his winning putt disappeared into the hole, McIlroy let out a primal scream, fell to his knees and wept. “There wasn’t much joy in that reaction. It was all relief,” he said. “It was a decade-plus of emotion that came out of me there.”

What’s Next?

The PGA Tour season officially kicked off in Hawaii, where Hideki Matsuyama (-35) won The Sentry and set the Tour’s 72-hole scoring record. He had 33 birdies, 2 eagles and 2 bogeys. Ridiculous.

NBA and NHL Updates

CP3 Makes History

Chris Paul became the first NBA player to make all 82 starts in his 20th season or later.

USA Wins at the Women’s Hockey World Championship

The Americans won Sunday’s group stage game to stay perfect at the tournament.

Raised to the Rafter

The Bulls will retire Derrick Rose’s number next season, raising his No. 1 jersey to the rafters alongside Michael Jordan (No. 23), Scottie Pippen (No. 33), Jerry Sloan (No. 4) and Bob Love (No. 10).

NFL Playoff Picture

Bring on the Playoffs

Sunday concluded the 2024 NFL regular season, which featured one of the closest MVP races in recent memory, a host of rare statistical milestones and a historic finish last night in Detroit.

The playoffs are set: The final two postseason spots were decided on Sunday, as the Buccaneers clinched the NFC South and the Broncos finally snapped their eight-year playoff drought.

Title Odds and MVP Race

The Lions are the favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy (+280 at BetMGM), followed by the Chiefs (+350), Ravens (+600), Bills (+600), Eagles (+700), Vikings (+1600), Packers (+1800), Buccaneers (+3000), Chargers (+3500), Rams (+3500), Commanders (+3500), Broncos (+8000), Texans (+8000) and Steelers (+10000).

Did Lamar Jackson do enough in the past month to wrest the MVP away from Josh Allen?

Jackson: Baltimore’s dual threat QB is not only the first player with at least 4,000 passing (4,172) and 900 rushing yards (915) in a season, but also the first with 40+ TD (41) and fewer than five INT (4). He added four rushing TDs and posted a career-high 119.6 passer rating.

Allen: Buffalo’s signal-caller sat Sunday’s game, ending the year with 3,731 yards, 28 TD and 6 INT, plus 531 rushing yards and 12 scores on the ground. While Jackson has better numbers, it’s important to note that Allen sat roughly 11 quarters this season with the game (or playoff spot) already in hand.

Honorable mention: Saquon Barkley, who also rested on Sunday, became the ninth member of the 2,000 yard club; Joe Burrow led the league in passing yards (4,918) and TD (43).

Season in review: Rodgers’ last stand? Aaron Rodgers’ future, as both a Jet and in the NFL, is up in the air. If Sunday was his swan song it was quite a coda: He posted his first 4 TD game since 2021 and became the fifth QB in NFL history with 500 career TD passes.