It might not have been the best shot he hit all day, but Rory McIlroy’s playoff putt to complete the Career Grand Slam will go down as one of the defining moments of his career. The final round at Augusta National was typical of McIlroy’s journey to that fifth major.
It might not have been the best shot he hit all day, but Rory McIlroy’s playoff putt to complete the Career Grand Slam will go down as one of the defining moments of his career.
The final round at Augusta National was typical of McIlroy’s journey to that fifth major. He showed plenty of brilliance throughout the day, though there were still a couple of moments where things could have gone either way.
McIlroy’s 2025 season had plenty more highlights beyond Augusta. He also won at Pebble Beach and TPC Sawgrass, and wrapped up the year with a memorable victory at the Irish Open.
And who could forget how he booked his place in that playoff? His putt at The K Club sparked scenes that will be talked about for years to come.
How Rory McIlroy quietly became one of the PGA Tour’s top putters
McIlroy was brilliant on the greens last year. While his short iron play drew most of the attention, it is easy to overlook just how much he has improved with the putter.
However, by season’s end, he ranked inside the top 10 in putting on tour.
Speaking on 5 Clubs, Brad Faxon broke down what had changed in McIlroy’s approach that led to such a turnaround with the putter.
“I was talking to Rory yesterday at the Bear’s Club where he was practicing before leaving last night to fly to Dubai to have his first two tournaments on the European Tour. And we can’t remember the last time he’s made a practice stroke. He says the only time he might do it is on a longer putt aside of the ball where he makes some long and loose strokes,” he began by saying.
“I’m so proud of him because he’s [36 years old] now and he’s just had his best putting year. Depending on what statistic you look at, he finished ninth in strokes gained putting for a season. When players like Scheffler and Rory have a great putting year like that, they’re hard to beat.
“What Rory said to me about why he thinks he putted so well last year, it was just one word, it was ‘acceptance’. And maybe that’s underrated. What does acceptance mean? You have to accept every putt you hit whether they go in or they don’t go in.
“And I think how you respond to missed putts is an art, and how can you use how your mind works to keep putting better and better. And acceptance is something that Rory really felt like when he was hitting good putts that didn’t go in, previously that would get him down a little bit, or a little bit frustrated like it does for anybody. I think that’s a real big reason why he putted so much better last year.”
Rory McIlroy’s next step: building on a breakthrough tear with the putter
Maintaining that form will be the next test for the Northern Irishman. In past seasons, he has had stretches of strong putting followed by dips, so consistency will be key moving forward.
He has been as high as 159th in strokes gained putting over the last decade, showing just how much his performance on the greens has varied from year to year.
With Scottie Scheffler playing without any clear weaknesses in his game, McIlroy cannot afford another major drop-off if he wants to stay near the top of leaderboards.
The hope is that recent changes have helped raise his baseline level.
If McIlroy can keep this up across all areas of his game, there should be plenty more memorable moments ahead.
Category: General Sports
