Rory McIlroy ranks second in the world and has won four majors, but never the Masters.
As pro golf's most prestigious event, the Masters Tournament always delivers a new batch of intriguing storylines and high-stakes drama each year. One of the biggest in 2025 is whether long-time superstar Rory McIlroy can finally win the only major tournament that has eluded him.
Could this be the year? The sight of Rory McIlroy's 4-year-old daughter Poppy sinking a monster putt during the Par Three Contest on the eve of the 89th Masters certainly suggests the omens might finally be favorable.
A victory at golf's most important tournament this weekend would see the Northern Irish star finally complete his career Grand Slam, ending an agonizing 11-year wait. The burden of that wait has loomed large since he claimed his third Major title at Royal Liverpool in 2014, leaving only one final hurdle to overcome.
Now, with the stars seemingly aligning once again, the question looms larger than ever: Can McIlroy finally secure the win that would propel him into the elite ranks of all-time greats alongside legends like Jack Nicklaus and his hero, Tiger Woods?
Each April brings renewed hope and a familiar weight -- the ghosts of near misses and Sunday slips haunting the azaleas. The 35-year-old's collapse at the 2011 Masters, which saw him fire an 80 on the final day's play to go from a four-shot lead to a tie for 15th, remains a career low, while his runner-up finish in 2022, three shots behind Scottie Scheffler, stands as a more recent false dawn.
This year, though, there's a different feel. McIlroy arrives not just with form but with a sense of freedom. The Ulster native started the season with a commanding victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, finishing 21 under par and two strokes ahead of his closest competitor, fellow Irishman Shane Lowry.
Building on this momentum, McIlroy clinched his second Players Championship title at TPC Sawgrass last month, showing plenty of grit to prevail in a three-hole playoff against J.J. Spaun.
Those victories mark him out as the only player in this year's Augusta field with multiple PGA Tour titles before this weekend's big show.
McIlroy's stats also paint a promising picture -- his driving distance average is an impressive 315.1 yards this term, while his average of 4.35 birdies per round indicates his putting game is in check for Augusta's challenging greens.
The obvious barrier to McIlroy realizing his dream in Georgia is the weekend's other intriguing narrative: Scheffler's pursuit of a rare back-to-back Masters victory.
Defending Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is the favorite to win the tournament again this year.
