Rory McIlroy's First-Hole Double Bogey Removed One Pressure He Didn't Expect

Mar 29, 2026, 8:51 PM CUT

A disastrous start at the Masters may have been exactly what Rory McIlroy needed. His opening-hole double bogey on Sunday removed the pressure of protecting a lead.

McIlroy had gone into that final round carrying the memory of 2011, the last time he led Augusta after 54 holes. He made a 7 at No. 10 that Sunday and never recovered. To be honest, 14 years is a long time to sit with something like that.

The bunker at No. 1 caught his tee shot, the wind slightly against him compared to Saturday, and then He walked off with a 6.

"It wasn't the ideal start, but in a strange way, it settled me down," Rory McIlroy said. "I realized I no longer have to protect the lead. It's going to be a bit of a dogfight all day."

For over a decade, Rory McIlroy carried one lingering question: the Masters. Despite four major titles, Augusta remained the missing piece, with years of near-misses and Sunday heartbreak defining his legacy.

That changed on April 13, 2025, when McIlroy finally completed the career Grand Slam.

When you're protecting a lead at Augusta, it changes how you play, and you definitely get cautious. Players start defending what they have instead of attacking the course.

The double bogey flipped that, and two holes later, he chipped to nine feet at No. 3 and made a birdie. Then a 5-iron to nine feet at No. 4. Another birdie. He was right back in it.

Rory McIlroy Had Already Reset Once Before Rae's Creek Hit

However, the back nine presented its own challenges, as his wedge at No. 13 found Rae's Creek for a double bogey.

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Second Round, Second Shot, 10th Hole — In Round 2 of the 2025 Masters at Augusta, McIlroy found the fairway on the 10th and then sent a confident second shot into the green, triggering his comeback after a rough opening round. With the tournament still wide open, this shot re-established his swagger and signalled he would be a contender. Mark Newcombe/Imago

Second Round, Second Shot, 11th Hole — Also on day two, Rory followed the 10th shot by attacking a challenging front-left pin on the 11th. From a tricky lie right of the trees, his precision approach showed boldness and gave him a dart-like strike that few players would attempt under pressure. @TheMasters/X

Second Round, Second Shot, 14th Hole — Still on his hot streak in the second round, McIlroy executed a remarkable recovery on the 14th hole, coming out of trouble among the pines and still managing a shot that put him very much in contention. It wasn’t perfect, but it was one of his best salvage efforts of the week. AP Photo/Eric Gay

Third Round, Third Shot, 2nd Hole — The moving day started hot; on Saturday’s third round at Augusta, Rory chipped in or landed a near-birdie on the par-4 2nd hole after a stellar tee shot. It gave him momentum early in his Saturday charge and signalled he was coming for the title. John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Second Round, Second Shot, 13th Hole — Still in Round 2, on the par-5 13th, Rory’s second shot looked perilous, even he thought it might find the water, yet it found its way onto the green and turned into an eagle. A moment of unbridled stroke-making when he needed it most. Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Final Round, Second Shot, 7th Hole — Sunday at Augusta delivered one of Rory’s most brilliant recoveries: at the 7th hole in the final round, from deep in the trees, McIlroy carved out a shot through a tiny gap and nearly holed it for eagle. When that happened, it felt like one of the greatest shots ever seen. AP Photo/Eric Gay

Third Round, Second Shot, 15th Hole — In Round 3, McIlroy produced a thunderous hook-around-the-tree approach on the par-5 15th that left him mere feet from eagle; that shot held swagger, bold strategy and execution: a turning point in the tournament. David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

Final Round, Second Shot, 15th Hole — Then on Sunday, under full pressure, Rory pulled off the same hole again, the 15th, in even more dramatic fashion: from a difficult lie, he hooked his approach under and around a tree, landing within a few feet and seizing momentum in the final battle. This shot will become part of Masters lore. Petter Arvidson/Imago

Final Round, Third Shot, Playoff — In the hole-by-hole playoff at the 2025 Masters, McIlroy delivered the defining moment: his third shot on the 18th (playoff) set up the winning putt and completed his Career Grand Slam. The culmination of the dream, the pressure and the talent all coming together. AP Photo/Matt Slocum

When three players are sharing the lead with four holes left, all that front-nine work is sitting in the creek alongside his ball.

He'd reset after the first hole, and he did it again here. Bryson DeChambeau's ball was in the water at No. 15 before Rory McIlroy played.

He switched from an 8-iron to a 7-iron and hit a shot that bent hard left toward the flag. Birdie.

"I made the right swing at the right time," Rory McIlroy said. "That shot will go down as one of the greatest shots of my career."

On hole 17, his shot stopped very close to the hole, about two feet away. He made par on 18, but that was not enough. So he had to play a playoff with Justin Rose.

On the playoff hole, McIlroy had seen Carla Bernat Escuder make a similar putt earlier. He remembered how the ball moved. He trusted it and played his shot at the time, and the ball went in.

What do you think was that first-hole double bogey the moment that changed Rory McIlroy's entire approach on that Sunday? Let us know in the comments!

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote