AUGUSTA, Ga. — On Masters Sunday, it was standing room only in what is known as the Sitting Room inside the clubhouse at Augusta National Golf Club to watch the final round of the 89th Masters.
There were members in their green jackets, player managers, rules officials done for the day kicking back on couches and golf dignitaries from around the world huddled around the TV set in a room between the player locker room and the grill room. Oh, and a few journalists too.
It was quite the scene to watch Rory McIlroy defeat Justin Rose with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. The excitement level rose as McIlroy rinsed his third shot in the water at the par-5 13th hole and made his second double bogey of the day and fourth for the tournament. Moments later Justin Rose, who started the day seven strokes off the pace, poured in another birdie at the par-3 16th to tie for the lead at 11 under. That’s when Mark Steinberg, Rose’s longtime agent, rose from his seat, and with a smile creasing his face, walked into the grill room without saying word. He didn’t have to say a word. It was Game On! He ordered a vodka cranberry from Stephen, the bartender, and began pacing.
Steinberg would have even more reason to smile because McIlroy proceeded to bogey 14, too, and give the lead to Rose. It was around this time Englishman Aaron Rai walked into the room and looked at the leaderboard and did a double take. Instead of heading out of town, presumably to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, site of next week’s PGA Tour event, Rai convinced his fiancée they should stay and watch. He even fetched a few pimento cheese sandwiches in the famed green wrappers from the locker room for his future bride.
Rose couldn’t make his par putt at 17, and he, McIlroy and Aberg shared the lead at 10 under. But McIlroy was about to hit his first of three brilliant shots, this one a 7-iron to the par-5 15th that drew perfectly around the pine trees and settled 6 feet away for eagle. “All is forgiven,” one of the dignitaries said.
The TV in the Sitting Room was 30 seconds ahead of the screen in the Grill Room, and this was the first of several occasions where delayed cheers surfaced from the other room.
McIlroy missed the eagle but regained the lead. “Are we having fun yet?” Stephen, the bartender, said.
John Carr, an Augusta National member from Ireland who typically serves as host for McIlroy’s press conferences, said, “Great shot,” and touched his heart.
As Rose played 18, Steinberg left half his drink behind and headed out by scoring to be in position to greet his player, who drained a birdie putt at 18 for a 6-under 66 and the clubhouse lead. “Oh my god!” one of the dignitaries screamed as the plot thickened. Steinberg departed but Blake Smith, the agent for Scottie Scheffler, and Bryson DeChambeau’s manager, Brett Falkoff, took turns passing through.
McIlroy’s 8-iron to 17 stopped in kick-in range, and another joyous cheer from McIlroy supporters generated another comical 30-second delay celebration in the other room.
“My heart can’t take this stuff,” Stephen said.
Before McIlroy hit the putt at 18 with a chance to win and complete the career Grand Slam, one of the dignitaries asked everyone in the room whether he’d make the 6-foot putt? Not a single person expected McIlroy to miss but he did just that. On to a playoff against Rose with a green jacket on the line. McIlroy stuffed his second at 18 in tight to cause more hooting and hollering. “He’s making this one,” a wife of a green jacket predicted. Even before we watched the putt drop, everyone knew he had made it because of the gigantic roar for McIlroy out at the 18th green resonated through the pines. As Shane Lowry headed outside of the locker room to wait to greet his buddy, who he’d give a bear’s hug and lift off the ground, he said of McIlroy, “He doesn’t make it easy, does he?”
No, he does not. We’d witnessed a rollercoaster of emotions and history be made by McIlroy.
“You guys don’t have anything to write about tonight, do you?” Stephen said.
And we both smiled with delight.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Masters 2025: Inside Augusta National clubhouse as Rory McIlroy won
AUGUSTA, Ga. — On Masters Sunday, it was standing room only in what is known as the Sitting Room inside the clubhouse at Augusta National Golf Club to watch the final round of the 89th Masters.
There were members in their green jackets, player managers, rules officials done for the day kicking back on couches and golf dignitaries from around the world huddled around the TV set in a room between the player locker room and the grill room. Oh, and a few journalists too.
It was quite the scene to watch Rory McIlroy defeat Justin Rose with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. The excitement level rose as McIlroy rinsed his third shot in the water at the par-5 13th hole and made his second double bogey of the day and fourth for the tournament. Moments later Justin Rose, who started the day seven strokes off the pace, poured in another birdie at the par-3 16th to tie for the lead at 11 under. That’s when Mark Steinberg, Rose’s longtime agent, rose from his seat, and with a smile creasing his face, walked into the grill room without saying word. He didn’t have to say a word. It was Game On! He ordered a vodka cranberry from Stephen, the bartender, and began pacing.
Steinberg would have even more reason to smile because McIlroy proceeded to bogey 14, too, and give the lead to Rose. It was around this time Englishman Aaron Rai walked into the room and looked at the leaderboard and did a double take. Instead of heading out of town, presumably to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, site of next week’s PGA Tour event, Rai convinced his fiancée they should stay and watch. He even fetched a few pimento cheese sandwiches in the famed green wrappers from the locker room for his future bride.
Rose couldn’t make his par putt at 17, and he, McIlroy and Aberg shared the lead at 10 under. But McIlroy was about to hit his first of three brilliant shots, this one a 7-iron to the par-5 15th that drew perfectly around the pine trees and settled 6 feet away for eagle. “All is forgiven,” one of the dignitaries said.
The TV in the Sitting Room was 30 seconds ahead of the screen in the Grill Room, and this was the first of several occasions where delayed cheers surfaced from the other room.
McIlroy missed the eagle but regained the lead. “Are we having fun yet?” Stephen, the bartender, said.
John Carr, an Augusta National member from Ireland who typically serves as host for McIlroy’s press conferences, said, “Great shot,” and touched his heart.
As Rose played 18, Steinberg left half his drink behind and headed out by scoring to be in position to greet his player, who drained a birdie putt at 18 for a 6-under 66 and the clubhouse lead. “Oh my god!” one of the dignitaries screamed as the plot thickened. Steinberg departed but Blake Smith, the agent for Scottie Scheffler, and Bryson DeChambeau’s manager, Brett Falkoff, took turns passing through.
McIlroy’s 8-iron to 17 stopped in kick-in range, and another joyous cheer from McIlroy supporters generated another comical 30-second delay celebration in the other room.
“My heart can’t take this stuff,” Stephen said.
Before McIlroy hit the putt at 18 with a chance to win and complete the career Grand Slam, one of the dignitaries asked everyone in the room whether he’d make the 6-foot putt? Not a single person expected McIlroy to miss but he did just that. On to a playoff against Rose with a green jacket on the line. McIlroy stuffed his second at 18 in tight to cause more hooting and hollering. “He’s making this one,” a wife of a green jacket predicted. Even before we watched the putt drop, everyone knew he had made it because of the gigantic roar for McIlroy out at the 18th green resonated through the pines. As Shane Lowry headed outside of the locker room to wait to greet his buddy, who he’d give a bear’s hug and lift off the ground, he said of McIlroy, “He doesn’t make it easy, does he?”
No, he does not. We’d witnessed a rollercoaster of emotions and history be made by McIlroy.
“You guys don’t have anything to write about tonight, do you?” Stephen said.
And we both smiled with delight.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Masters 2025: Inside Augusta National clubhouse as Rory McIlroy won
