Rory McIlroy has completed a career Grand Slam in golf with his win at the US Masters tournament.
The Masters was the last major tournament left for McIlroy to complete the modern golf Grand Slam – a feat only five others have managed before him.
McIlroy, who was making his 11th attempt at completing the Grand Slam, faced off against Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose in a sudden-death play-off to decide the Masters champion, after they finished tied on 11 under at the end of regulation on Sunday.
Image: McIlroy after winning the Masters. Pic: AP
Image: McIlroy reacts as he wins. Pic: AP
Image: Overcome with emotion, McIlroy drops to his knees after beating Justin Rose in the sudden-death play-off. Pic: AP
‘So hard to stay patient’
Speaking at a press conference after his victory, McIlroy said: “You have to be the eternal optimist in this game.
“I have been saying it until I am blue in the face but I truly believe I am a better player now than 10 year ago.
“It is so hard to stay patient, keep coming back and not being able to get it done.
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“There were points on the back nine where I thought, ‘have I let this slip again?’ but I responded and am really proud of myself.
“It has been an emotional week so I am thrilled to be last man standing.”
Image: McIlroy holds the Masters trophy. Pic: AP
Image: Rory McIlroy after winning the play-off against Justin Rose. Pic: AP
Just before slipping on a coveted green jacket during the presentation ceremony, the Northern Irishman said: “It’s my 17th time here and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time.
“I’m just absolutely honoured and thrilled and just so proud to be able to call myself a Masters champion.”
McIlroy had missed his six-foot putt for par, a bogey which dropped him back to 11 under, where he joined Rose – leading to a dramatic playoff between the two.
Image: Rory McIlroy holds the trophy while embracing his caddie Harry Diamond. Pic: Reuters
Image: McIlroy shakes hands with England’s Justin Rose after winning the Masters. Pic: AP
Image: Pic: Reuters
Only five other golfers have been able to complete a career Grand Slam – Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen.
McIlroy is a two-time winner of the PGA Championship, claiming the prize in 2012 and 2014.
The 35-year-old also won his first major title, the US Open, in 2011, and won the Open Championship in 2014.
How did McIlroy clinch victory?
McIlroy recovered from losing his overnight two-shot advantage with an opening-hole double bogey to initially take control at Augusta National, only to blow a four-shot lead over his closing six holes.
The world number two bogeyed the last to close a one-over 73 and slip back to 11 under alongside Rose, who overturned a seven-stroke deficit and posted a stunning final-round 66 to force a playoff.
Image: Members of McIlroy’s Holywood Golf Club in County Down, Belfast, watch on as he competes in the Masters. Pic: PA
The players returned to the 18th for the playoff, where McIlroy made amends for his 72nd-hole blunder by firing a stunning approach to within three feet of the pin and making the birdie putt required for the win.
After the winning putt dropped, McIlroy raised his arms towards the sky and let his putter fall behind him as he dropped to his knees overcome with emotion.
He then embraced his wife Erica and daughter Poppy as chants of “Rory! Rory!” rang out around the green.
Image: Members of Rory McIlroy’s Holywood Golf Club in County Down, Belfast, watch him play during the Masters. Pic: PA
‘Great athletes under tremendous pressure’
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill has said the country should have “the biggest party possible” to welcome home McIlroy.
Ms O’Neill added that people are “bursting with pride” at his achievement and it should be celebrated “in the best possible style”.
It came as Northern Ireland’s sports minister, Gordon Lyons, said he is looking forward to “formally marking” McIlroy’s success in the coming weeks.
Ms O’Neill had earlier praised McIlroy for “making history as the first ever from our island to win the prestigious Green Jacket!
“A phenomenal achievement that completes a career Grand Slam, placing him amongst the greatest ever golf players.
“This is a huge moment in sporting history, and one that has filled everyone back home with great pride and that will undoubtedly inspire future generations to chase their dreams,” she said on X.
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Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly said she was “absolutely delighted” for McIlroy.
“This is an incredible achievement and he truly has made Northern Ireland proud of the international stage,” she posted on X.
“The way he held his nerve to win it and finally get the green jacket, and to complete the career Grand Slam is remarkable.”
Ms Little-Pengelly added that she was already looking forward to seeing McIlroy on home fairways in the summer when the Open Championship returns to Northern Ireland.
“The reception when he steps onto the first tee at Royal Portrush in July will be incredible,” she said.
“Hopefully he can give the home fans plenty to cheer as he bids to win a second Open Championship.”
Image: Members of Rory McIlroy’s golf club in Belfast watch him play during the Masters. Pic: PA
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Irish premier Micheal Martin described the win as “epic”.
“The Green Jacket is yours Rory McIlroy,” the Taoiseach posted on X.
“A finish for the ages at Augusta to win The Masters and complete a richly-deserved career Grand Slam. Epic achievement by one of golf’s greatest talents.”
Deputy Irish premier Simon Harris also posted his congratulations.
“A first Masters and a career Grand Slam means he joins some of the very greatest to have ever played the game,” he said.
“A proud day for him, his family and for Ireland.”
Meanwhile, Ireland’s President Michael D Higgins posed on X: “Congratulations to Rory McIlroy on winning The Masters and completing the career Grand Slam. A truly outstanding achievement.”
It comes as Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt has called for McIlroy to be knighted.
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Legendary golfer Tiger Woods was also among those to congratulate McIlroy, writing on X: “Welcome to the club @McIlroyRory.
“Completing the grand slam at Augusta is something special. Your determination during this round, and this entire journey has shown through, and now you’re a part of history. Proud of you!”
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US President Donald Trump, who is passionate about golf,has alsopraised McIlroy saying: “Well I have to congratulate Rory, that showed tremendous courage.
“He was having a hard time. But it showed great guts and stamina and courage. People have no idea how tough that is.
“It’s better for him that it happened that way because it showed real courage to have come back from what could have been a tragedy was amazing.”
He added: “Justin Rose was great, they’re great athletes under tremendous pressure.”
‘Hard to put into words’
Tony Denver, who was among those watching McIlroy from his home club in Holywood, County Down, told Sky News it was “hard to put into words” how he was feeling following the play-off, as crowds in the background cheered and applauded the world’s number two golf player.
Image: Tony Denver
Mr Denver went on to say the feeling was “absolutely fantastic”, adding he remembers McIlroy “from a young lad growing up and he’s now one of the six players to win the Grand Slam which is just unbelievable”.
Ruth Watt, lady captain of Holywood golf club, said: “We are all immensely proud, absolutely delighted to be welcoming Rory back home in that green jacket.
“He has put us through the wringer tonight but what an outcome.”
Image: Ruth Watt
She added: “There was always something very special about the golf that he played but he is such a gentleman and such a lovely, lovely person.”
For the club, McIlroy’s victory is just “phenomenal”, she said.
Donald Trump has a soft spot for military spectacles and autocrats.
He will be looking on with envy as Vladimir Putin parades both in Moscow today, with Chinese leader Xi Jinping flying in to join Victory Day events in Red Square.
European allies of Ukraine will be watching nervously, wary of anything that could upturn the delicate quest for peace.
President Trump‘s patience with peddling his much vaunted “peace deal” has been wearing thin and allies had feared Ukraine could be punished for it.
That would have been grotesquely unfair, of course. Ukraine has bent over backwards to accommodate Mr Trump’s one-sided diplomacy that has so far seemed to favour the aggressor in this obscene war.
Image: Pic: AP
True, the Trump proposal does not agree to Russian annexation of all the land already taken by force and stops short of ordering the complete demilitarisation of Ukraine, but otherwise the proposals are pretty much everything that Moscow has asked for.
The deal is being pushed by Steve Witkoff, Mr Trump’s golf partner turned chief negotiator, a man regarded by diplomats as out of his depth and lost in the rough when it comes to the arts of statecraft.
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Like his president, Mr Witkoff has a history of doing business with Russian oligarchs, an apparently starry-eyed view of the Russian leader and has called Ukraine a “false country”.
Moment of truth approaching
Mr Witkoff and Mr Trump have so far given Mr Putin the benefit of the doubt, but a moment of truth is approaching. While Ukraine has agreed to a longer ceasefire in principle, Mr Putin will not.
Ukraine’s European allies feared that Mr Trump was about to despair of progress, blame Ukraine and take US military support with him.
Then came the minerals agreement between the US and Ukraine. The breakthrough gave the US president something to show for his efforts and assuaged his desire for some kind of deal. He seems to have moved on for now, at least, and approved the first $50m of arms sales to Ukraine.
Image: Members of the Russian Air Force fly over Red Square during the rehearsal. Pic: AP
But these remain a tense few days ahead with plenty at stake.
The Russian lull is seen here in Kyiv as little more than a ploy.
If the Russian leader was serious about giving peace a chance, they say, he would have signed up to the permanent ceasefire being proposed by the Trump team.
Besides, Russia broke the last truce in Easter as soon as it had begun and used it to carry out surveillance and reinforcement operations says Kyiv. Why risk another pointless pause that is exploited by the invaders?
Escalation possible
If Russia plays the same games this time and Ukraine retaliates, there could be a significant escalation. Likewise, with any Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow during Victory Day.
Any major flare-up will not be looked on favourably by the US president if it upstages his first trip abroad this presidency, a three-day tour of the Middle East.
For now, his attention is not so much on the Ukraine conflict and he is no longer issuing threats to walk away and stop supporting the Ukrainians.
Image: Russian servicemen march towards Red Square in the rehearsal. Pic: AP
On Wednesday, India said it hit nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites, while Pakistansaid it was not involved in the April attack and the sites were not militant bases.
Pakistan’sPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has since vowed that India will “now have to pay the price” for their “blatant mistake,” and skirmishes have also been reported along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
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Speaking to Sky’s The World with Yalda Hakim on Thursday, India’s high commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, said “the original escalation is Pakistan’s sponsored terror groups’ attack on civilians”.
India strikes ‘reasonable,’ says high commissioner
He then insisted India’s strikes in Pakistan and Kashmir were “precise, targeted, reasonable and moderate,” adding: “It was focused principally and solely on terrorist infrastructure.
“We made it abundantly clear that the object of this exercise was clearly to avoid military escalation.
“A fact that was actually acknowledged – in a left-handed way of course – by the Pakistani side in terms of their own statements, which said the airspace hadn’t been violated.”
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India awaits Pakistan’s response
Pakistan chose ‘to escalate the matter’
The high commissioner also said about claims Pakistan shot down Indian aircraft with Chinese-made fighter jets: “If it satisfies Pakistan’s ego to say that they’ve done something, they could have used that as an off-ramp to move on.
“Clearly they’ve chosen not to, and they’ve chosen to escalate the matter.”
Image: A boy collects papers from the debris of a damaged house in Gingal village. Pic: Reuters
And when asked about Pakistan’s threats of retaliation, Mr Doraiswami said: “We’re not looking for an escalation, but if Pakistan responds, as we have done, we will respond proportionally and in exactly the same light.”
He then referenced the border skirmishes, saying: “I do want to remind everybody: For the last 15 days, they’ve also opened artillery fire along the Line of Actual Control… That’s led to civilian casualties.”
It comes after India said Pakistan attacked its military stations in the Kashmir region with drones and missiles on Thursday.
The country’s defence ministry said stations at Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur were “targeted by Pakistani-origin” weapons, and added “the threats were swiftly neutralised”.
There is a long list of demands in the new pope’s in-tray, ranging from the position of women in the church to the ongoing fight against sexual abuse and restoring papal finances.
People both inside the Catholic Church and around the world will be watching how the new pontiff deals with them.
Here, Sky News Europe correspondent Siobhan Robbins takes an in-depth look at the challenges facing the new pontiff.
Sexual abuse
Many Catholic insiders credit Pope Francis with going further than any of his predecessors to address sexual abuse.
He gathered bishops together for a conference on the issue in 2019 and that led to a change that allows cooperating with civil courts if needed during abuse cases.
But it didn’t go as far as forcing the disclosure of all information gathered in relation to child abuse.
Any abuse allegations must now be referred to church leaders, but reformers stopped short of decreeing that such cases should also be automatically referred to the police.
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Clerical abuse victim says church still has ‘so much to do’
While many abuse victims agree they saw progress under Pope Francis, who spent a lot of time listening to their accounts, they say reforms didn’t go far enough.
The next pope will be under pressure to take strong action on the issue.
Image: Newly-elected Pope Leo XIV appears on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Pic: Reuters
Women
Pope Francis also did more to promote women in the Vatican than any other pontiff.
Two years ago, he allowed women to vote in a significant meeting of bishops.
While he was clear he wanted women to have more opportunities, he resisted the idea that they needed to be part of the church hierarchy and didn’t change the rules on women being ordained.
Image: A woman kneels at St. Peter’s Square, on the first day of the conclave to elect the new pope. Pic: Reuters
His successor will need to decide if they push this agenda forward or rein it back in.
It’s a pressing concern as women do a huge amount of the work in schools and hospitals, but many are frustrated about being treated as second-class citizens. 10,000 nuns a year have left in the decade from 2012 to 2022, according to Vatican figures.
Inclusion
“Who am I to judge?” Pope Francis famously said when asked about a gay monsignor in 2013.
His supporters say he sought to make the church more open, including allowing blessings for same sex couples but while critics argue he didn’t go far enough, some conservatives were outraged.
Image: A gay couple kiss at a Catholic protest against the legalisation of gay marriage in Mexico. File pic: Reuters
African bishops collectively rejected blessings for same sex couples, saying “it would cause confusion and would be in direct contradiction to the cultural ethos of African communities”.
How welcome LGBTQ+ people feel in the church will depend partly on decisions made by the pontiff.
Conversely, the Pope must also bring together disparate groups within the Catholic faith.
Many are demanding a leader who can unite the various factions and bring stability in an increasingly unstable world.
The global south
While the Catholic church is losing members in its traditional base of Europe, it’s growing rapidly in the global south.
The area has become the new centre of gravity for Catholicism with huge followings in countries like Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines.
Pope Francis tried to expand representation by appointing more cardinals from different areas of the world, and the new Pope will be expected to continue this.
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Behind the scenes at the conclave
Finance
The Vatican is facing a serious financial crisis.
The budget deficit has tripled since Pope Francis’s election and the pension fund has a shortfall of up to €2bn (£1.7bn).
These money worries, which were compounded by COVID-19 and long-standing bureaucratic challenges, represent a major concern for the next pope.