Rory 2.0 Was Born At The 2025 Masters... McIlroy Is Now Free Of His 11-Year Major Burden

The 2025 Masters will go down as one of the most monumental weeks in the sport's history.

The story from Augusta this time around is one of a true great scaling the mountain and slaying his demons up the way, demons that have been with him for 11 years since he last picked up one of men's golf's four Major trophies.

Rory McIlroy entered his 11th-consecutive Masters with the burden of the grand slam weighing him down, and it had been getting heavier and heavier each and every year. Especially as the greats of the game that he is following had all predicted he would, at some point, get his arms into a Green Jacket... Something he admitted that, with a wry smile, didn't exactly help.

"It's tough. You know, you've had Jack, Gary, Tom, Tiger, you name it, come through here, and all say that I'll win the Masters one day. That's a hard load to carry. It really is," he told the media after defeating Justin Rose on the first playoff hole.

"You know, these are idols of mine, and look, it's very flattering that they all come up here and they believe in me and they believe in my abilities to be able to win this tournament and, you know, achieve the Grand Slam and all that.

"But it doesn't help, you know. I wish they didn't say it. But, you know, I think as well, as the years have went on, I've just become more accustomed to the noise that sort of surrounds my whole Masters week and I've become a little more comfortable with it."

McIlroy had posted a remarkable 21 top-10s in Majors between the 2014 PGA and 2025 Masters, which included numerous close-calls and notable heartbreaks at St Andrews in 2022, Los Angeles Country Club in 2023 and at Pinehurst no.2 10 months ago.

He has been the best golfer in the world this year with two big wins already and came into the tournament as the second-favorite behind defending champion Scottie Scheffler - who he has time and time again referenced in his bid to return to the summit of the game.

McIlroy is so adored by fans not only for his incredible, god-given talent for hitting a golf ball but for his vulnerability, too. Everyone loves an underdog and, while he certainly can't be classed as one, he has felt like one four times a year.

He hasn't just been trying to beat the world's best players over four days, he's also been trying to fight off a huge monkey on his back that was getting heavier and heavier every year. It was almost a teenager by the time he put his tee in the ground on Thursday in Georgia.

He's been beaten by, notably, Cameron Smith at St Andrews in 2022 and Wyndham Clark in 2023 but in his heart of hearts he knows he gave away the US Open to Bryson DeChambeau last year after bogeying three of the final four holes - not his first 'choke' or sign of at least some mental fragility in attempting to get over the line again in one of men's golf's big four.

This win, at the biggest and best golf tournament in the world (his words) was certainly his toughest challenge yet in a career that has included four Majors prior to this week, two Players Championships, three FedEx Cups, six Race to Dubai titles and a total of more than 40 professional victories. And that's not even mentioning his five Ryder Cup victories wearing Team Europe colors.

From the years 2015-2024, the Northern Irishman won everything there is to win of note in the game of golf barring a Major, and every time he slipped up or got beaten by the better man on the day, his caddie, Harry Diamond, came under criticism.

Diamond has been on his fellow Northern Irishman's bag since 2017 and is viewed, by some, as merely Rory's best friend instead of a true, out-and-out professional caddie. Their relationship is clearly one of the closest between a player and looper in the entire professional game, and McIlroy was telling in his words about his best friend after tapping in his winning putt.

"I've known Harry since I was seven years old. I met him on the putting green at Holywood Golf Club. We've had so many good times together. He's been like a big brother to me the whole way through my life," McIlroy said through tears in the Press Building at Augusta National, while wearing his new, 38-medium green jacket.

"To be able to share this with him after all the close calls that we've had, all the crap that he's had to take from people that don't know anything about the game, yeah, this one is just as much his as it is mine.

"He's a massive part of what I do, and I couldn't think of anyone better to share it with than him."

The question, in my mind at least, is what's next for Rory McIlroy? Today was undoubtedly the toughest of his entire golfing career. It was either going to be the greatest day of his golfing life or his biggest heartbreak yet. There was no in-between.

Having been at Augusta all week, it's hard to get across just how much pressure he is under. He's cheered onto every tee, fairway and green and brings patrons with him like the pied piper. That's not even including what the analysts and media say along with the pressure he puts on himself.

He admitted he was extremely nervous on the 1st hole and that the double bogey on the opener, ironically, settled him down.

"I was unbelievably nervous this morning. Really nervous on the first hole, as you witnessed with the double, but as I said, that sort of calmed me down and I was able to bounce back and show that resilience that I've talked about a lot," he said.

"Yeah, look, it was a heavy weight to carry, and thankfully now I don't have to carry it and it frees me up and I know I'm coming back here every year, which is lovely."

With the weight of the world off of his shoulders and his new legitimate, legendary status in the game cemented, the sky really is the limit for Rory McIlroy. We always thought that once he gets another one, the floodgates will open - and that seems like a sensible prediction when you witness how he plays the game and take stock of his resume over the past 15 years.

He heads to Quail Hollow for next month's PGA Championship, where he has won four times already, before the US Open at Oakmont in June and then a return to Royal Portrush in July.

Portrush was the scene of one of many Major heartbreaks between the years of 2015-2024, when he opened with a 79, including an 8 on the very first hole, and then valiantly fought back on Friday to shoot 65 and miss the cut by one. It was billed as the biggest week of his career, with the Open returning to his homeland for the first time in 68 years, but it turned into a nightmare.

He teared up in his interviews that Friday evening in Portrush as that monkey turned five-years-old. After what happened at Augusta this week, you certainly wouldn't bet against him picking up a second Claret Jug in July.

If he does or doesn't win another Major this year or for the remainder of his career, he certainly shouldn't care too much. His childhood dreams came true today. He's got his green jacket, he's part of Augusta folklore and will be wearing said jacket each and every April for the decades to come.

He can now actually start planning his champion's dinner menu for April, instead of just dreaming about what he might serve if he ever does manage to win around Augusta National.

While he is undoubtedly the most gifted player of his generation, the struggles he's been through on course on the grandest of stages, that he has now overcome, make for a story of keeping the belief and never giving in - something he would tell his younger self if he could.

"You know, that experience, going through the hardships of tough losses and all that, and I would say to him, just stay the course," McIlroy said on what he'd say to the 21-year-old McIlroy who famously lost a 54-hole lead at the 2011 Masters.

"Just keep believing. And I would say that to any young boy or girl that's listening to this. I've literally made my dreams come true today, and I would say to every boy and girl listening to this, believe in your dreams, and if you work hard enough and if you put the effort in, that you can achieve anything you want."

Rory McIlroy has now won everything there is in the game and has firmly cemented his status as the post-Tiger era's greatest player. It was a privilege to watch.

The chapter, titled Major drought, of his book is now over, and it's going to be fascinating to watch how a freed-up Rory McIlroy tackles the remainder of his career. This really is Rory 2.0.