It's here again. A tradition unlike any other, the Masters, at Augusta National. The biggest tournament in golf, and one of the most anticipated weekends of sports each year starts this Thursday on April 9th, 2025. Between the countless memories, 87 tournaments, 56 different winners, and one of the most beautiful places on planet earth, The Masters at Augusta National is truly an iconic tournament. It is one that has evaded one of golf’s greatest modern stars time and time again, Rory McIlrory.
Rory’s Dominance
(Taken by )
McIlroy has captured viewers attention since his 2011 US Open win which he followed up the next year with four more wins, including a PGA Championship. Since the first six wins (He also won the Quail Hollow Championship in 2010), he has won 22 more times, securing his spot in golf history as one of the most talented players to ever swing a golf club. Since he began on the tour in 2010, McIlroy has consistently put up staggering stats. Since 2010, he has the highest win percentage with 10.7%, higher than Scottie Scheffler who is second with 9.92%. Amazingly, even with all of his physical and personal complications, Tiger Woods still falls in third at 8.8%. McIlroy has made the top five 31.3% of the time, the top ten 48.9% of the time, and only misses the cut 11.8% of the time when he plays in any given tournament. To go along with all of these amazing stats, he has also won over 100 million dollars over his career. All this to say, he is an amazing golfer and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Struggles at The Masters
While all of this is true, there is one accomplishment that has eluded McIlroy. He is making his 17th start at The Masters this year, and historically, has really played quite well at Augusta in the past. He has only missed three cuts, and when making the cut, averages a ranking inside the top 15. He has been in the top ten seven times and the top five four times. He has done almost everything except add a green jacket to his trophy case. Additionally, he has not won a major since 2014, making viewers wonder if McIlroy simply cannot handle the pressure of winning on the big stage anymore.
This year, however, has a different air around Rory’s game coming into The Masters. He has already won two tournaments this year, one of those coming at TPC Sawgrass and The Players which many like to call the “fifth Major”. He leads the field overall in strokes gained this year, is number one in the Fedex Cup standings, and has an overall world golf ranking of 2. Even with all of his previous success, McIlroy is playing some of the best golf of his career.
The Mental Game
Many hold the opinion that Rory’s problem is not his game, but his headspace. Ever since his disastrous finish in 2011, where he shot an 80 with an atrocious 43 on the back, he has struggled to finish well when in contention. While he has good finishes at the Masters, many of those have come from well played final rounds, where he was never really in contention.
But even Rory’s mental state seems more intact this year. He seems more mature and put together on the course then he ever has been. In an interview with Amanda Balionis while hitting on the range on Tuesday, McIlrory was asked about his stress levels. Balionis brought up an interview she had had with him a few years prior where he had said he would usually lose “almost 10 pounds” due to stress during the Masters week. Rory addressed this by saying that obviously there was stress this week, but that he had learned to handle it much better. His goal was to “block out all the noise” and to “ be present” where he is and just hit the next shot in front of him.
(Taken by Ryan Schreiber)
Whether he feels more prepared this week or not, there is still the immense pressure to complete the career grand slam at some point and the question of whether or not he can do that has yet to be answered. Regardless of McIlroy's performance this week, patrons will still be waiting with anticipation for the back nine on Sunday where another great story will be written in golf’s history book. Azaleas are blooming, and it's Masters week once again.
Sources
Augusta National Golf Club. (2011). Rory McIlroy – 2011 Masters Hole by Hole Scores. Augusta.com. Retrieved April 8, 2025, from
Augusta National Golf Club. (n.d.). Rory McIlroy – Player Profile. Augusta.com. Retrieved April 8, 2025, from
Creative Commons. (n.d.). Openverse. Retrieved April 8, 2025, from
Lynch, P. (2025, February 13). The five highest win percentages on the PGA Tour since 2010 as Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods feature. The Golfing Gazette. Retrieved April 8, 2025, from
PGA Tour. (n.d.). Rory McIlroy – Player Profile. PGA Tour. Retrieved April 8, 2025, from
Rundle, M. (2018, April 2). Augusta National #12 "Golden Bell" [Photograph]. Flickr.
Schreiber, R. (2015, April 8). Azaleas at Augusta National [Photograph]. Flickr.
Tour Pro Golf Clubs. (2013, May 21). Rory McIlroy [Photograph]. Flickr.
About the Author
Jesse Koellein is a sophomore at 色虎视频 who is getting his Bachelor's degree in English with a minor in Data Analytics. He is hoping that his experience in English and learning how to communicate well can drive his ability to convey analytical statistics more simply to help others better understand those ideas. Koellein enjoys soccer, golf, and writing in his free time.