Has Rory McIlroy won the Masters? Four-time major winner seeks to finish career grand slam at Augusta National

Rory McIlroy was once thought to be the heir-apparent to Tiger Woods. Winning four major championships by age 25, McIlroy appeared poised to dominate professional golf alongside Woods for the next decade-plus, particularly in majors. He completed the third leg of his career grand slam by converting a 54-hole lead into a victory at the 2014 PGA Championship with only a Masters green jacket standing between him and history.

That was more than 10 years ago. Standing atop the 2025 Masters leaderboard with the 54-hole lead as the final round continues, McIlroy is seeking that exact history at Augusta National Golf Club.

Woods is the last golfer to complete that career grand slam, winning all four majors — the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open Championship — at least once. He accomplished that feat in 2000, his fourth year as a professional golfer, which is why so many believed McIlroy was truly following in Tiger’s footsteps given his early success in some of the toughest tournaments.

No one has reached that summit since, including McIlroy, who has been unable to conquer four straight rounds at Augusta National in 10 consecutive opportunities. His 11th such try concludes Sunday as Rory takes a 54-hole lead into the final round of a major for the first time since that 2014 PGA Championship — and for the first time at the Masters since 2011.

Watch the 2025 Masters all Sunday long with expanded coverage from CBS Sports. The newly extended broadcast airs from 12-2 p.m. on Paramount+ before shifting to CBS from 2-7 p.m. Masters Live follows the best in the world across Featured Groups, Amen Corner and Holes 15 & 16. Check into those streams live across Paramount+, CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App. 

McIlroy will do his best not to remember that 2011 Masters on Sunday. Holding a four-stroke lead on the entire field with 18 holes to play, he shot an 8-over 80, still his worst round to date at Augusta National. He fell from 1st to T15 but quickly overcame that disappointment by winning the first major of his career, the 2011 U.S. Open, in his next significant outing.

When the career grand slam initially came into view for McIlroy, he put together the second-best effort of his career at the Masters, a fourth-place finish in 2015. His highest placement came in 2022, though he was never truly in contention during that tournament. A final-round 64 from McIlroy pulled him closer to eventual winner Scottie Scheffler than he had been all week, but a green jacket was never actually in his sights.

Despite never winning at the Masters, McIlroy has stood as the most successful golfer of his generation. He has won 43 professional events, including 28 on the PGA Tour, stood at No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings across more than 100 weeks and remains one of three players to win four majors by age 25 alongside Tiger and Jack Nicklaus.

On Sunday, he has a chance to join them — and a few other legends — in an exclusive club of career grand slam winners. That’s if he is able to finish his story and win the 2025 Masters.

Rory McIlroy at the Masters

* Career grand slam in play