Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Did you see that unusual looking “pink” moon over the weekend?
The April phenomenon was actually a traditional full moon orbiting at its furthest point away from the earth. Appearing smaller than average, this weekend’s moon was dubbed “pink” in honor of a spring wildflower called the pink moss.
Pink or not, this weekend’s full moon may help to explain some of the weird happenings on the grounds of Augusta National Golf Club during The Masters golf tournament.
Rory’s Wild Ride earns a much-treasured Green Jacket
I did, indeed, spend most of my weekend watching The Masters golf tournament. If you watched more than just the highlights, you realize that the Pink Moon effects were in full bloom for the golfers at Augusta National.
Congratulations to Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy for finally winning The Masters Sunday afternoon in his 17th attempt.
He became just the sixth golfer in history to win all four major tournaments (Masters, PGA, US Open, and British Open). The 35-year old McIlroy joined golf legends like Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods in that elite group.
McIlroy was the favorite to win The Masters coming into the tournament. Already a two-time winner on the PGA tour in 2025, Rory has been playing his best golf in years. He was also trying to break an 11-year drought since his last major title at the 2014 PGA Championship.
Rory McIlroy’s four-round high-wire act provided one of the wildest rides to victory in Masters history.
In Thursday’s opening round, Rory was near the lead at 4-under par only to record two double bogeys at #15 and #17 to stumble back to even par 72.
Known for his go-for-broke playing style, McIlroy first erred with an aggressive chip across the slippery 15th green. The ball rolled into a greenside pond and led to his first double bogey. He again played sloppily at #17 to record his second double bogey score in just three holes.
The media (feel free to “Boo” them here) battered McIlroy after Round 1 with question after question about whether the pressure of trying to win his first Masters title was getting to him again. To his credit, McIlroy found a way to remain composed and insisted that the tournament still had a long way to go.
Indeed, it did!
Prior to the first round of The Masters, Rory McIlroy sought the lunchtime advice of 6-time Masters winner Jack Nicklaus (now 85 years old). Nicklaus told Rory that he must remain disciplined in order to win his first Green Jacket.
“He’s got all the shots,” said The Golden Bear. “But if you look, go back and see his history the last few years, he gets to a place a lot of times where an 8 or a 7 pops up (on his scorecard).”
Jack Nicklaus turned out to be prophetic about Rory McIlroy’s golf game over the weekend. Rory made the hard shots look easy and a few of the easier shots look difficult.
The lucky break that won The Masters for Rory McIlroy
Friday afternoon’s second round saw Rory McIlroy charge back into contention with a six-under par 66. He received a gift from the golf gods on the short-par 3 12th hole that day.
The 12th hole is called “Golden Bell” and is best known for Rae’s Creek running diagonally in front of the green. When the wind blows, the tricky tee shot can be blown into the creek or over the green.
Jordan Spieth has donated golf balls to Rae’s Creek on more than one occasion to cost him a second (or third) green jacket at The Masters.
Rory McIlroy’s Friday tee shot on #12 flew over the green and deep into a stand of thick azalea bushes and trees.
Within a second of the ball landing, it magically appeared to roll back out of the heavy brush and onto a flat grassy area only a few yards off the putting surface.
Rory McIlroy would chip up and roll in his par putt. If the ball had stayed in those bushes, he was looking at a likely double bogey to drop another two more shots to par.
A video replay of that shot confirmed McIlroy’s exceptionally good fortune.
It was almost like there was a leprechaun hiding in the azalea bushes to roll the ball back out.
Third round’s “Moving day” shuffled the leaderboard again
England’s Justin Rose (remember that name later) was in the lead at 8-under par after the opening 36 holes at The Masters. The 41-year old Rose has experienced his share of close calls at Augusta National Golf Club, too.
In 2017, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia were in a playoff for the Green Jacket. Garcia prevailed for his first and only major championship win.
Rose struggled with his putting on Augusta National Golf Club’s lightning fast greens during Saturday’s third round. His 3-over par 75 would leave him seven shots behind the new leader in the clubhouse, Rory McIlroy.
Rory came out of the chute on fire Saturday. He went birdie, eagle, birdie on the first three holes to shoot to the top of the leaderboard. His second straight 66 put him at 12-under par after three rounds.
LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau birdied two of the last four holes on Saturday to climb into second place at -10.
This would set-up a Sunday rematch of last summer’s US Open final round in which DeChambeau defeated McIlroy for the title.
Sunday’s final round was a roller coaster ride for the ages by Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy’s Saturday evening started with a third straight day of “Why haven’t you won The Masters yet?” questions from the media. Though he mentioned a desire to spend a quiet night with his family, McIlroy’s appearance on the first tee on Sunday afternoon looked anything but relaxed.
McIlroy’s final round playing partner Bryson DeChambeau loves working the crowds much like Arnold Palmer used to do. DeChambeau later said the Rory wouldn’t talk to him during Sunday’s fourth round.
On the first hole, McIlroy carded yet another double bogey (his fifth of the week). With an opening par and a birdie on #2, Bryson DeChambeau took the lead at 11-under par.
Rory McIlroy skillfully navigated the tricky par-4 third hole and carded a birdie as DeChambeau bogeyed. The lead had flipped once again – this time in McIlroy’s favor.
On the long par-3 fourth hole, McIlroy lasered an iron shot within a few feet of the hole. His birdie moved him back to 12-under par, while DeChambeau’s second straight bogey opened up a 3-shot cushion.
McIlroy stretched his lead to five shots over the field after rolling in another birdie putt on #10.
That’s when the fun began
Rory McIlroy bogeyed the difficult par-4 11th hole as Justin Rose scored his fourth straight birdie to move within four shots of the lead.
The par-5 13th hole features Rae’s Creek diabolically meandering just in front of the green.
McIlroy elected to play it safe and attempt his third shot from less than 100 yards in front of the green.
His pitch shot went off-line to the right and rolled into the creek. The double bogey 7 brought Justin Rose and surging Ludvig Aberg within two shots of the lead.
Another McIlroy bogey on #14 made this a true Masters horse race to the finish line.
Right on cue, Justin Rose rolled in a slippery downhill putt for birdie on #18 to post 11-under par in the clubhouse.
Sweden’s rising star Ludvig Aberg needed a par and a birdie on the final two holes to tie Rose.
Sadly, he bogeyed #17 and fell apart with a triple bogey on #18 to finish far back.
Rory McIlroy steadied his game and took the lead once again on the par-4 17th with another miraculous second shot landing just a few feet from the hole. The birdie gave him a one shot lead with one hole to play.
McIlroy dumped his second shot on #18 into a greenside bunker and failed to make the par putt to fall into a tie with Justin Rose at 11-under par.
On the first playoff hole at #18, Rose lofted his second shot about ten feet above the hole. Rory McIlroy’s second shot hit right next to Rose’s ball and spun down the hill to within two feet of the hole. This time, Rose missed his birdie putt.
McIlroy stepped up and sank his short birdie putt for the win.
He dropped to his knees in an emotional release after finally winning The Masters in his 17th attempt.
SwampSwami’s Masters post-game analysis
Though the media will spin Sunday’s fourth round as one of the greatest ever, it was primarily great for its suspense and theatrics.
CBS drew nearly 13 million viewers for Sunday’s wild final round. That was a 33% increase over Scottie Scheffler’s victory in 2024.
Rory McIlroy shot one-over par and still won the golf tournament.
Bryson DeChambeau’s clutch putting saved him from shooting much higher than the 75 he posted on Sunday afternoon.
Ludvig Aberg looked like a possible playoff candidate until he gave back four strokes on the final two holes.
Only runner-up Justin Rose (67) and third-place finisher Patrick Reed (68) made any significant moves up the leaderboard on Sunday.
Considering the ideal playing conditions, Sunday’s scoring was surprisingly high.
The third and fourth rounds were played with temperatures hovering around 70 degrees under a clear sky with very little wind. The conditions at Augusta National Golf Club are rarely so benign.
Sunday was exciting, because Popeye and Bluto (aka Rory and Bryson) were too busy feuding with one another to notice they were losing ground.
Both players made a number of poor shots on Sunday.
Rory McIlroy seemed to have forgotten the solid advice of Jack Nicklaus by attempting several risky shots during the Masters instead of playing the percentages.
Fortunately, Rory’s bold roll of the dice on several questionable shots from the trees came up big for him on Sunday afternoon at Augusta National Golf Club.
The percentages were apparently on McIlroy’s side. At least for this year.