Tag: Rory McIlroy

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The Masters Tournament 2025 Tee Times: Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau fight for Green Jacket

The Masters Tournament 2025 is set to finish this Sunday at the iconic Augusta National Golf Club, where golf’s elite will compete for the coveted green jacket. Tournament favorite Rory McIlroy makes another attempt to complete his career Grand Slam, but Bryson DeChambeau seeks for the Green Jacket himself.

Golf fans worldwide are eagerly anticipating what promises to be another thrilling chapter in Masters history.

The Masters Tournament 2025 – All Scores

Tee Times The Masters Tournament 2024 Runde X

Tee Time Player 1 Player 2
1 9:40 Brian Campbell
1 9:50 Hideki Matsuyama Akshay Bhatia
1 10:00 Justin Thomas Min Woo Lee
1 10:10 Brian Harman J.J. Spaun
1 10:20 Patrick Cantlay Wyndham Clark
1 10:30 Danny Willett J. T. Poston
1 10:40 Sam Burns Stephan Jaeger
1 11:00 Matt Fitzpatrick Nick Taylor
1 11:10 Tom Kim Charl Schwartzel
1 11:20 Davis Riley Tommy Fleetwood
1 11:30 Daniel Berger Bubba Watson
1 11:40 Aaron Rai Sahith Theegala
1 11:50 Michael Kim Denny McCarthy
1 12:00 Maverick McNealy Harris English
1 12:20 Joaquín Niemann Jon Rahm
1 12:30 Byeong Hun An Rasmus Højgaard
1 12:40 Jordan Spieth Max Greyserman
1 12:50 Tyrrell Hatton Matt McCarty
1 13:00 Davis Thompson Tom Hoge
1 13:10 Collin Morikawa Viktor Hovland
1 13:20 Sungjae Im Max Homa
1 13:40 Nicolas Echavarria Xander Schauffele
1 13:50 Justin Rose Zach Johnson
1 14:00 Scottie Scheffler Shane Lowry
1 14:10 Ludvig Åberg Jason Day
1 14:20 Corey Conners Patrick Reed
1 14:30 Rory McIlroy Bryson DeChambeau
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Highlights Tours

The Masters Tournament 2025: Rory McIlroy back in contention

(Photo: Getty)
(Photo: Getty)

A Masters champion can’t afford to make any mistakes, there has not been a green jacket with more than one double bogey – after Rory McIlroy’s performance on the back nine in the first round of the Masters Tournament 2025, the statisticians were quick to show that the tournament was actually over for the Northern Irishman. But they didn’t do the math with Rory McIlroy.

The Masters Tournament: Rory McIlroy conquers Amen Corner

He took it easy on the front nine, played a birdie on hole 2, but otherwise made no mistakes in the slightly windy conditions. “I tried not to push too hard from the start,” he explained after his round. “I wanted the round to come to me.” By hole 10, the round had arrived. After a perfectly placed second shot, the birdie on the par-4 was a formality and the start of an outstanding section. McIlroy repeated his magic shot on hole 11, but left himself a slightly longer putt for birdie. He also converted it.

A Rory McIlroy highlight on No. 10. He moves to two under par. #themasters pic.twitter.com/FJ2RC7ojSC — The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2025

The highlight then came at the exit of Amen Corner: on 13, he played his second shot out of the pine needles, which was not uncommon on Friday, as he found himself there more often. McIlroy hit only 54 percent of the fairways, but 76 percent of the greens. From his position on 13, McIlroy was unable to judge whether the ball would land on the green or in Rae’s Creek. All the greater the relief when his shot rolled to within 9 ft of the flag. McIlroy converted for eagle and found himself back in the top five of the leaderboard, within reach of leader Justin Rose and his rival Bryson DeChambeau.

Roaring into contention. McIlroy eagles No. 13 and is now tied for fourth. #themasters pic.twitter.com/1i65HRkd33 — The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2025

Where he had suffered a bitter double bogey the day before, McIlroy won another shot and finished the round without making any mistakes. “I had to remind myself that I played pretty well yesterday,” said the 35-year-old about the mindset with which he started the day. “I played 16 pretty good holes and two not so good ones.” His round of 66 was the best round of the day at the time and he was just two shots off the leader Justin Rose.

The Masters Tournament 2025 – All Live Scores
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The Masters Tournament 2025: Poppy McIlroy sinks mega putt at par 3 contest

(Photo: Getty)
(Photo: Getty)

At the Par 3 Contest before the Masters Tournament 2025, the focus was once again on fun. It’s all the more amazing when the mini stars also shine with sporting performances. Like Poppy McIlroy this year. Rory McIlory‘s four-year-old daughter holed a downhill putt from over 7.5 meters on hole 9 of the short course. She only had to tap the ball once with the putter she was holding in one hand.

The cheers were huge, not only from proud dad McIlroy and flight partner and hype man Shane Lowry, but also from the spectators around them.

Poppy McIlroy converts the lengthy putt on No. 9! #themasters pic.twitter.com/6Vfkfxm3v7 — The Masters (@TheMasters) April 9, 2025

However, the sudden excitement surrounding her unsettled the four-year-old a little and she had to be comforted by her dad and mom. A major tournament sure is exhausting!

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Why Isn’t Rory McIlory At The Masters Champions Dinner?

Rory McIlroy in the last round of the 2023 Masters Tournament. (Image: Getty)
Rory McIlroy in the last round of the 2023 Masters Tournament. (Image: Getty)

Rory McIlroy is one of the worlds outstanding golfers, both on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. But with appearances on all Majors, Tour finals and every other big tournament there is in golf, one special occasion is still missing in McIlroys yearly schedule, the Masters Champions Dinner.

The Masters Tournament 2025 – All Scores

Rory McIlroy and The Masters Champions Dinner at Augusta National

So why is Rory McIlroy not invited to the famous Masters Dinner? As the official name of the – probably most famous – dinner in golf suggests, the “Masters Champions Dinner” is just for the elite circle of past and reigning Masters Champions. The tradition was originally startet by Ben Hogan back in the 1950s and is continued as a popular tradition, not just for the attendees, but for golf fans as well. The Masters Champions Dinner Menu is a talking point for many and is chosen by the reigning Masters Champion from the previous year.

So Scottie Scheffler, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and this years host Jon Rahm are going to be present, but Rory McIlroy didn’t get an invite. Because as simple as it is, he hasn’t won a Masters Tournament yet.

Rory McIlroy at The Masters Tournament

So for McIlroy the Masters-Odyssey doesn’t stop at a missing invite to this dinner. The Northern Irishman is negatively famous for being “cursed” at the first Major of each golf season. With wins at the PGA Championship, the US Open and the Open Championship the only Major missing for his Grand Slam is the Masters Tournament.

Rory McIlroy’s tee times for the Masters Tournament 2025

In 2022 the Northern Irishman came close to a victory with a second place but fumbled in his last round and Scottie Scheffler claimed his first Major title in response. In 2023 McIlroy even missed the cut.

Who Pays For The Masters Champions Dinner?
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Has Rory McIlroy won the Masters Tournament?

Has Rory McIlroy won the Masters Tournament before?
Has Rory McIlroy won the Masters Tournament before?

Rory McIlroy is one of the best golfers of his generation and beyond. The Northern Irishman has already won numerous titles on the PGA Tour in his career and McIlroy has also won several of the four major events. However, the Northern Irishman is only one title short of becoming a legend.

Rory McIlroys outstanding carrer

Rory McIlroy won his first professional event at the age of just 20, launching his great career. Two years later, he achieved his first triumph at a major event when he won the US Open with the best score ever achieved at this tournament of 16 strokes under par. In March 2012, at the age of 22, he became the second youngest number 1 in the world golf rankings of all time and won his second major at the PGA Championship in August of the same year. McIlroy scored his third major success in 2014 with his victory at the British Open, which means he is now only missing a Masters victory for the career grand slam. In the same year, McIlroy also achieved his fourth and last Major success to date when he won the PGA Championship for the second time.

McIlroys Masters Tournament tragedy

McIlroy is making his 17th Masters Tournament appearance in 2025. He won over four million dollars in Augusta and in 2022 he came closer than ever before to a victory with second place. Nevertheless, McIlroy’s story at the Masters could be described as tragic.

This dates back to 2011 when McIlroy caused a sensation at augusta for the first time. In April, the then 21-year-old blew a four-shot lead after the third day of the Masters and finished the tournament in a tie for 15th place. That was the first time McIlroy was halfway into the green jacket that he has not yet been allowed to wear. In the following three years, McIlroy went on a real winning spree and won four majors during this time, but since 2014 his run has come to a halt. McIlroy is just one win away from joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to win a career Grand Slam at the US Masters. But although he came close time and again, it just doesn’t seem to work out for the Northern Irishman at Augusta. The 34-year-old has finished the tournament in the top 10 seven times in the last ten years, even finishing in the top five four times. McIlroy will make another attempt to finally put an end to his Augusta-Curse and win a major tournament again after ten years to complete the career grand slam.

The Masters Tournament 2025 – All Scores
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PGA Tour

Rory McIlroy cracks 100 million in prize money – hunt for Tiger Woods begins

Rory McIlroy passes the 100 million dollar mark in prize money and reaches a new career milestone. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy passes the 100 million dollar mark in prize money and reaches a new career milestone. (Photo: Getty)

Rory McIlroy has reached another milestone in his impressive career: the Northern Irishman is only the second player in the history of the PGA Tour to pass the 100 million dollar mark in official prize money. Only Tiger Woods was able to break this mark before him. But how did McIlroy achieve this historic success, and can he even overtake Woods in the coming years?

Rory McIlroy’s recent successes bring crucial millions

A decisive factor in McIlroy’s financial success was his victory at the 2025 Players Championship. In a nerve-wracking play-off, he secured the title and the prize money of 4.5 million dollars from a total pool of 25 million US dollars.

Another lucrative highlight was his triumph at the 2024 DP World Tour Championship. With a final score of 15 under par and a flawless final round, McIlroy secured the prize money of 3 million dollars and further increased his financial cushion.

How prize money is transforming golf

McIlroy’s monetary success is not just a personal triumph, but also an indicator of the increasing commercialization of golf. Increasing sponsorship deals, growing media coverage and higher prize money have made the PGA Tour one of the most lucrative sports leagues in the world in recent decades.

McIlroy already topped the European Tour’s money list in 2018 after finishing in a tie for second place at the Open Championship. This took him over the €35 million mark in prize money on the European Tour.

Can McIlroy overtake Tiger Woods?

Despite McIlroy’s impressive financial record, Tiger Woods remains unrivaled with over 120 million dollars in official PGA Tour prize money. However, the rising prize money and McIlroy’s consistent performance could make the race for the number one spot in the money rankings exciting in the coming years.

At 35, McIlroy is at a stage where many golfers reach their financial peaks. If he continues to strategically participate in tournaments that pay out large prize money, he could actually catch up with Woods in the next few years.

McIlroy as a giant of golf

Rory McIlroy has played his way into the exclusive league of golf millionaires through a combination of sporting ability, strategic tournament planning and economic foresight. The coming years will show whether he can break Tiger Woods’ 120 million dollar mark. But one thing is certain: McIlroy is not just a top golfer – he is a brand in his own right.

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The Masters: Rory McIlroy plays practice round in Augusta

Rory McIlroy play practice round in Augusta ahead of The Masters tournament 2025. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy play practice round in Augusta ahead of The Masters tournament 2025. (Photo: Getty)

For Rory McIlroy, this week is all about preparing for the Masters 2025. The week began for him with a practice round at Augusta National on Monday and his start at the Houston Open is also a strategy to get into top form and finally secure the Green Jacket.

Rory McIlroy on a practice round at Augusta National

‘It’s nice for me to play a practice round without people around and it sort of takes the pressure off the week for me,’ said McIlroy, who took his time to look round Augusta National Golf Club. In addition to the usual benefits of a practice round, this appointment also served to explore possible changes as a result of the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene. In September 2024, the storm caused devastating damage in the south-east of the USA and the community of Augusta and Augusta National Golf Club were also affected. The impact on the venue of the Masters was largely limited to a few fallen trees and the resulting damage to the golf course, while the surrounding population was significantly more affected.

Four greens had been redone, McIlroy reported of his findings, including that of the 16th fairway, where two of the trees had fallen. ‘The loss of a few trees is definitely noticeable but in terms of, they’ve had to redo that green [the 16th], it’s exactly the same as what it was,’ said the Northern Irishman. ‘The hole will play – apart from a few less shadows on the green late in the day because of the trees that were lost – pretty much the same.’

Rory McIlroy’s Masters preparation

McIlroy used the two weeks of privacy before the first major to familiarise himself with the course again in peace, as there is always a lot of hustle and bustle during the week of the tournament. ‘There are a lot of obligations, there are big commitments whether it be from media or the par-three tournament on Wednesday, so I just like to get up there and feel like I’m not rushed on the Tuesday, Wednesday the week of the tournament.’ In the past, McIlroy has tried a number of strategies to optimise his preparation, including avoiding as much of the pre-tournament hustle and bustle as possible. There were years when he avoided events such as the Par 3 Contest as well as participating in tournaments shortly before the Major. He seems to be taking a different approach this year, as his start at the Houston Open two weeks before the Masters shows.

But even though this week should help him to optimise his game, he is not just thinking about the Masters. ‘It’s not as if I’m playing here this week and thinking about two weeks’ time. I’m here, I’m in the present, I’m trying to do my best this week and trying to win this golf tournament.’

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PGA Tour

World Golf Ranking: Rory McIlroy on his way to Nr. 1?

Rory McIlroy is closing the gap on Scottie Scheffler in the World Golf Ranking. (Photos: Getty)
Rory McIlroy is closing the gap on Scottie Scheffler in the World Golf Ranking. (Photos: Getty)

For a long time, nothing has changed at the top of the world golf rankings: one name has been there for 95 weeks – Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler’s exceptional season in 2024 gave him a huge lead in the OWGR ranking. He was the undisputed leader and for a long time it looked as if no one could even come close to challenging him. But with his victory at the Players Championship 2025 and the title at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February of this year, Rory McIlroy is getting closer and closer – and it actually seems possible now that he could overtake Scheffler and take back the top spot.

World Golf Ranking: Rory McIlroy is gaining ground on Scottie Scheffler

Mathematically, McIlroy could become the world number one again in just one month: if he wins both the Masters and the RBC Heritage and Scheffler performs poorly at both tournaments, McIlroy could soon call himself the best player in the world again.

The Northern Irishman has already announced that he will play in the Houston Open (March 27-30) before the Masters. But even a victory there would not be enough to take the top spot in the world rankings with a Masters victory – there are not enough world ranking points for that. In addition, Rory McIlroy is increasing his lead in the Ryder Cup qualification list: he is well ahead of Tyrrell Hatton in second place among the first-qualified players.

The top 10 of the world ranking otherwise remained stable after the Players Championship, with the exception of Tommy Fleetwood, who rose one place to 9th place, and Justin Thomas, who fell to 10th place.

See the complete World Golf Ranking
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Panorama

The Masters 2025: How Rory McIlroy is preparing for his most important tournament

Rory McIlroy talks about his preparations for the Masters. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy talks about his preparations for the Masters. (Photo: Getty)

As the year progresses, The Masters in Augusta is getting closer and closer, and anticipation is growing – but so is nervousness. This also applies to Rory McIlroy, for whom the first major of the season is known to be of the highest importance. Now he has revealed how he will prepare for the important tournament this year.

Rory McIlroy is fully focused on The Masters

The legendary tournament at the tradition-rich Augusta National Golf Club takes place from April 10 to 13. In addition to the prestige and history, there is another very personal reason for the Northern Irishman: it is the only major that is still missing from his career Grand Slam. A victory would not only crown his career, but also elevate him to the ranks of the greatest golfers of all time. Alongside a Ryder Cup triumph in the USA and an Olympic gold medal, winning the green jacket is one of his three main goals. Every year, he focuses on this one week in April when he has the chance to finally win The Masters.

With his team’s TGL elimination, McIlroy can now focus entirely on preparation. In recent years, he has tried various approaches to get in peak physical condition. During a press conference at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he discussed his current plans. He has no tournaments scheduled between next week’s PLAYERS Championship and the Masters, but that could still change:

“I don’t like the idea of having three weeks off going into the Masters, so I may add one event, but I’m still between what event that may be. But it really just depends on how these two weeks go and how I’m feeling about my game.”

“It feels a little different”

He emphasizes that it helps him to travel to Augusta in advance and spend time on the golf course: “You can spend as much time as you want around there, like on those days that you go up outside of the tournament. You’re not under any pressure from a time constraint, like having to get to media or having any other obligations.”

He continues: “It’s funny, when you want to spend six hours on a practice round it doesn’t feel like it’s that bad, but the week of it you don’t really want to be out there for six hours and it feels a little different.”

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Professionals

Rory McIlroy: “Three goals for the rest of my career”

Rory McIlroy on his career goals. (Photo: Getty)
Rory McIlroy on his career goals. (Photo: Getty)

In an interview with BBC Sport, Rory McIlroy spoke about the big goals he has set himself for his golf career: “Winning the Masters, winning an Olympic medal and winning another away Ryder Cup, they are my three goals for the rest of my career,” said McIlroy. While the possibility of an Olympic medal will not become a reality again until 2028, he could realise victories at the Masters and the Ryder Cup as early as this year.

The desire for the green jacket

Rory McIlroy is still missing the Masters for the Grand Slam. The four-time major winner won the US Open in 2011, the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014 and added another major victory in 2014 with the British Open.

Despite significant recent successes, such as the FedEx Cup victory in 2022, and his consistent presence as one of the best players in the world for over a decade, his last major win was several years ago. In 2024, victory at the US Open seemed within reach, but McIlroy finished a close second to Bryson DeChambeau. This year, he has resolved to play fewer tournaments and concentrate fully on the majors: “All of my practice, all of my prep, even the tournaments that I’m playing, it’s all geared towards being ready for those four events”, said McIlroy.

At the start of each year, his focus is on a single week in April – the week when the Masters takes place at Augusta National Golf Club and offers him another chance to finally secure that long-awaited green jacket. This year, the Masters will be held from 10 to 13 April. A win at the Masters would give McIlroy the Grand Slam and cement his status as one of the best golfers of all time.

He also has his sights firmly set on the US Open at Oakmont Country Club and the British Open, which will be held in his home country of Northern Ireland this year: “I’ve realised that all I can control is myself. What’s right for me right now is to fully focus on myself and to get the best out of myself and get back to winning the biggest tournaments in the world.”

The away Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup will take place on the Bethpage Black Course in New York in autumn 2025. After the European team achieved a clear victory in Rome in 2023, it will do everything in its power to defend the Ryder Cup in 2025. However, history shows that it is extremely difficult to win a Ryder Cup on foreign soil. In 2012, the European team managed to do so with Rory McIlroy after trailing by four points – a comeback that became known as the ‘Miracle of Medinah’. The American team has not won in Europe for over 30 years. McIlroy describes winning a Ryder Cup away from home as “one of the greatest achievements in the game right now”.

Under the leadership of captain Luke Donald, the European team will do everything in its power to triumph again in 2025. “It’s a very strong American team, a very partisan crowd. But we’ve got a wonderful captain and we’re going to have a wonderful team and we’re relishing the challenge”, said McIlroy.

This text was written on the basis of information from BBC Sport.