Rory McIlroy—finally, finally—is a Masters champion. Chasing ghosts down Magnolia Lane, the 35-year-old from Northern Ireland completed his career Grand Slam on Sunday. Happy tears all over. McIlroy rolled in a nerveless birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to defeat Justin Rose on the par-4 18th. Imagine his winning putt dropping on Holly, the same hole where heartbreak struck in 2022.
A decadal wait and he became just the sixth man in history to achieve the feat—and the first European to do so. From the infamous collapse in 2011, when a 21-year-old McIlroy surrendered a four-shot lead in the final round, to the string of near-misses in recent years, this win was steeped in personal redemption. “I would say it was 14 years in the making,” McIlroy admitted, barely holding it together. “A lot of pent-up emotion came out on the 18th green. A moment like that makes all the years and all the close calls worth it.”
A mixed perspective brews among LPGA stars
As Rory let go of his club to drop down in an emotional winning moment, social media was swamped with exhilarating reaction posts. It was especially raw on Jin Young Ko‘s side, who, mid-flight from Dallas to Los Angeles, penned an emotional tribute to McIlroy’s win on her Instagram story. Ko, herself a major champion and former World No. 1, admitted she purchased in-flight Wi-Fi specifically to watch the final round of the Masters.
“My heart hurts again……. Starting with watching double and going to underpar, my mood rose like a plane going up. I was so emotional as I walked past the Amen Corner, which wasn’t like this when I was playing… Before overtime, I cried watching this wonderful player crying with his face on the green after successful putting,” Ko posted. She felt the win in her bones. So did we! She referenced McIlroy’s 2011 Masters attempt, acknowledging the 12-year drought since his last major in 2014. The sheer perseverance.
“Rewrote history after about 12 years…With a Career Grand Slam…I was grateful to be able to see this scene in modern times.” It’s true that greatness dwells not in the trophy’s gleam, but in the quiet hearts that dare to dream. But amid the roar of applause and flurry of tributes, there was one noticeable silence: Nelly Korda‘s.
The reigning queen of the women’s game, who just clinched her second major title at the Chevron Championship, remained publicly quiet – no post, no reaction. It’s worth noting that “We’re playing just as good as the men… Why shouldn’t we have equal opportunities?” Korda had expressed during the 2023 pre-U.S. Women’s Open. But interestingly, the rest of the LPGA continued their appreciation for what McIlroy had just achieved.
Rose Zhang and Rachel Heck, former Stanford teammates and two of the brightest young stars in American golf, shared the Augusta experience in real time, posing with smiles in the gallery, captioning it simply, “me + some Augusta champs .” It was the look of fans who also happened to be world-class athletes—a celebration of the sport’s biggest stage through youthful joy. More LPGA stars joined in the thrill.
Megan Khang, never one to mince words, captured the emotional rollercoaster perfectly: “gutsy. wild. are you not entertained?” Her reaction spoke to the nature of the final round—a front-nine resurrection, a back-nine collapse, and a finish that felt like a Hollywood script.
A round of applause from other LPGA members
Alexa Pano, a former Drive, Chip and Putt finalist who essentially grew up at Augusta, offered perhaps the most relatable response of all: “so happy i could cry.” A child of the Tiger era, a product of Augusta’s growing embrace of women’s golf, Pano’s reaction mirrored that of fans everywhere—McIlroy’s win was emotional, even if you weren’t personally invested. Jaravee Boonchant, a Thai standout who’s quietly rising through the LPGA ranks, couldn’t contain her joy: “HE DID IT!!!!! CAREER GRAND SLAM!” The all-caps wasn’t just for flair—it was an explosion of genuine fandom.
Filipino amateur-turned-professional Rianne Malixi echoed the mood with: “I’m not crying. You are ”—a sentiment that flooded the internet as McIlroy wept on the 18th green. Gaby Lopez, a fiery competitor known for her mental toughness, offered a more analytical praise: “Perfect example of a GREAT ATTITUDE even when it gets ugly 20 times in one day.” She wasn’t wrong. McIlroy’s round included a double bogey on the first hole and four dropped shots from holes 11 through 14. But his resilience? That was what won him the tournament.
And then there was Hannah Green, fresh off her high-profile victory this season, who summed it all up with a simple line: “So many feeling and emotions just watching that .” The rollercoaster emoji said it all. Even Ariya Jutanugarn, usually reserved on social media, reposted McIlroy’s final putt with a row of raised hands. Sometimes, words aren’t needed.
Women’s golf world reacts to Rory Mcilroy winning the ‘25 Masters.
A thread
Jin Young Ko. Via IG story pic.twitter.com/NxPyhRPEzJ
— NELLYLEGION (@NellyLegion) April 14, 2025
Though Nelly Korda said nothing publicly, her silence did not drown out the moment—it only emphasized just how emotionally powerful it was for the rest of the women’s game. As one fan on X pointed out, “This was thrilling for sure, and Rory totally deserves it… But there is something I wanted to mention, now that I think about it … there should be an equivalent of the masters for the LPGA … Women like Nelly, Jin Jon Ko, A Lim Kim, Brooke Henderson, Yealimi Noh would totally crush something similar.”
The sentiment echoes louder after Sunday’s finale. He wept as one weeps over plowed fields after drought—not for the victory alone, but for the years it took to reach this softening rain!
The post ‘My Heart Hurts’: As Nelly Korda Stays Silent, LPGA Stars Reacts to Rory McIlroy’s Chaotic Masters Win appeared first on EssentiallySports.
