Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy made birdie on the first playoff hole with a short putt, missing a chance to win in regulation time, and won the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam on Sunday in Augusta, Georgia.
McIlroy's 1-over-par 73 left him tied with England's Justin Rose, who had a 66 and was waiting for McIlroy to finish. Both players finished 11-under-par for the week at 277.
In a replay on the 18th hole at Augusta National, McIlroy's shot to the hole was closer than Rose's. After Rose missed a birdie and made par, McIlroy took advantage of his opportunity.
McIlroy needed a par on the 18th hole to win the main event, but his bunker shot was poor and he hit his 5-foot par putt too far left.
The new champion recovered from a near-disaster on the back nine with a birdie on the 17th hole to take a one-shot lead. His bogey on No. 11, double bogey on No. 13 and bogey on No. 14 seemed to be the harbingers of another final-round collapse at a major.
Instead, McIlroy recovered with a birdie on the par-5 15th hole and then walked cleanly to No. 17 and holed the putt to take the lead.
It is McIlroy's fifth major title and first since winning his second PGA Championship in 2014.
Rose, seeking his first Masters title, made six birdies and two bogeys over the final eight holes, capped by a 20-foot birdie.
It was an exciting round of golf.
McIlroy began the day with a two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau, lost it on the first hole and fell one stroke behind on the next, but then made two straight birdies to strengthen his position in a tense atmosphere at Augusta National.
After hitting his first shot into a fairway bunker and climbing into the fairway, McIlroy hit his third shot to 18 feet and three-putted for a double-bogey-six.
The four-time Grand Slam winner then ran into a new bunker on his second shot and could only make par on a hole he had played three days in a row, while DeChambeau made two shots for birdie to take an 11-hole lead.
McIlroy looked dejected heading to the third hole, but hit his driver on the short par-four and holed out to 10 feet for his first birdie of the day before DeChambeau three-putted for a two-putt second.
The absolutely thrilling start continued when DeChambeau also three-putted his fourth from right on the green, and then McIlroy holed his ball from nine feet for birdie to extend his lead to three shots.
A run of four straight pars gave both players a chance to catch their breath, although McIlroy still found time to make a stunning run up and through the trees on the seventh hole but somehow failed to get to the birdie down the hill.
McIlroy completed a nine-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole to take a four-shot lead over DeChambeau, who now had last year's finalist Ludwig Aberg and half-way leader Justin Rose in second place.
Aberg started the 10th hole at three under par, while Rose played four under par at 12, giving the 2013 US Open champion a chance to renew his bid for a second major title.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
