Rory McIlroy has finally achieved what many believed was long overdue—winning the 2025 Masters Tournament and completing the career Grand Slam. His victory was met with an outpouring of emotion and support from the golfing world and beyond. Long-time rivals Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, despite their usual competitive stances, joined in celebrating McIlroy’s historic win, offering public congratulations on social media. NBA icons Dwyane Wade and Charles Barkley also expressed their excitement over McIlroy’s long-awaited triumph at Augusta National. The 29-time PGA Tour winner’s final-round opponent, Bryson DeChambeau, was visibly emotional as well, stating, “I wanted to cry for him.”
However, DeChambeau later made a controversial remark in a separate interview. When asked if he had spoken to McIlroy during the final round, the LIV Golf pro replied, “No idea. Didn’t talk to me once all day.” When further questioned if he had attempted to start a conversation, DeChambeau simply said, “He wouldn’t talk to me.” At first glance, this made McIlroy seem aloof or dismissive, but Golf.com’s Claire Rogers provided a different perspective.
After Tiger won in 2019, Finau joked that he realized it wasn’t gonna be a chatty day when he asked Tiger how his kids were and got a one-word answer: “good.”
My humble opinion is that I think you’re allowed to focus on winning the Masters on Sunday
pic.twitter.com/mPamCSXeoB— claire rogers (@kclairerogers) April 14, 2025
Rogers, defending McIlroy, compared the situation to Tiger Woods’ focused demeanor during his 2019 Masters win. She noted that Tony Finau had once tried to chat with Woods mid-round and received only a one-word response—”good.” Her point: players chasing a green jacket have the right to be singularly focused. More importantly, Rogers highlighted that McIlroy and DeChambeau did speak before teeing off, even sharing a moment where McIlroy placed a hand on DeChambeau’s shoulder. A video she shared captured them exchanging well wishes, contradicting DeChambeau’s claims.
Though DeChambeau later congratulated McIlroy in an Instagram post, his earlier remarks raised eyebrows. It seemed like an odd narrative to push, especially given the photographic and video evidence showing otherwise.
As for the final round itself, the anticipation was intense. It was seen as a showdown between Europe’s McIlroy and America’s DeChambeau—reminiscent of other legendary golf duels. Many expected McIlroy to falter, especially after he opened with a double bogey. But what followed was a masterclass in perseverance. While DeChambeau faded from contention, McIlroy remained composed, holding off challenges from Justin Rose and Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg.
By the end of the tournament, four golfers stood between McIlroy and DeChambeau on the leaderboard, cementing the Irishman’s dominance. The final scenes at Augusta National were emotional, triumphant, and historic. McIlroy had finally claimed the elusive green jacket, silencing critics and securing his legacy.
Whether or not DeChambeau was truly ignored during the final round may no longer matter. McIlroy’s performance spoke louder than words ever could.