Rory McIlroy called his long-awaited, and elusive, win at the Masters Tournament a “dream come true,” and he wasn’t alone in celebrating a drama-filled final round that made him just the sixth golfer to achieve the career Grand Slam.
Sports bettors backing McIlroy were hopeful to be a part of his story – and history. They rejoiced to the most thrilling and agonizing Sunday at Augusta National in the modern era of the Masters.
While McIlroy was one of 95 golfers in the field at the season’s first major, bets on him to claim the champion’s green jacket comprised more than 20% of the total amount wagered at online sports betting company BetMGM. At the Westgate Superbook, the biggest sports book in Las Vegas, no golfer was listed on more tickets than McIlroy.
The support of McIlroy, 35, is understandable, as is the celebration of his success that was years in the making. Long one of the game’s most popular players, McIlroy spent more than a decade futilely pursuing the final leg of the career grand slam. Despite wins at the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and Open Championship, a victory at the Masters and it’s coveted green jacket eluded him. During this year’s final round, it appeared his hopes might be dashed yet again, but he was able to overcome several near-catastrophic miscues to defeat Justin Rose in a playoff and emerge the last man standing.
“It’s so hard to keep coming back every year and trying your best and not being able to get it done,” said McIlroy, who hadn’t won a major title since the 2014 PGA Championship and in the ensuing decade failed to break through at the Masters despite six top-10 finishes. “There (were) points on the back nine where I thought, ‘Have I let this slip again?’ But I responded with some clutch shots when I needed to, and (I’m) really proud of myself for that.”
“It (was) an emotionally draining week,” he added. “A lot of roller coaster rounds.”
Three Wins In 2025
McIlroy has now won three of his six starts in the U.S. this season, with his Masters victory following wins at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February and The Players Championship in March. He’s now totaled over $13.2 million in winnings. The Masters win earned him $4.2 million, just shy of the $4.5 million he received for his playoff victory over J.J. Spaun less than a month ago at The Players.
But the legacy of joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as winners of golf’s four majors, along with finally being able to slip on the green jacket is even more meaningful than the money.
“There were points in my career where I didn’t know if I would have this nice garment over my shoulders,” McIlroy said of his new jacket, a size 38 regular.
“You’ve had Jack, Gary, Tiger, you name it, come through here and all say that I’ll win the Masters one day,” he added. “That’s a hard load to carry. It really is. As the years have went on, I’ve just become more accustomed to the noise that sort of surrounds my whole Masters week and I’ve become a little more comfortable with it.”
PGA Championship Up Next
While some of the bettor backing of McIlroy at Augusta National may have been hopeful in nature, it makes sense he’s considered the man to beat at the next major – the PGA Championship scheduled for May 15-18 at Quail Hollow Golf & Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
McIlroy has four PGA Tour victories at Quail Hollow in the Wells Fargo Championship, the most recent coming last year.
Almost a quarter of BetMGM’s total money wagered for the Players Championship is currently on McIlroy, who is tied with Scottie Scheffler at +500 odds. McIlroy has been picked on almost 17% of tickets. BetMGM has also put up a market for how many majors McIlroy will win this season, with the Grand Slam listed at +8000, meaning a winning $100 bet on victories in all four majors would return a $8,000 profit.
For now, McIlroy is still focused on enjoying the moment.
“What came out of me on the last green there in the playoff was at least 11 years, if not 14 years of pent-up emotion,” said McIlroy, who dropped to the ground with his head on the turf after his winning birdie putt. “Thankfully I got the job done.”
