Masters RECAP: Rory McIlroy breaks down in tears after beating Justin Rose in play-off

1. Rory McIlroy -11 (W)

2. Justin Rose -11

3. Patrick Reed -9

4. Scottie Scheffler -8

T5. Sung-Jae Im -7

T5. Bryson DeChambeau -7

7. Ludvig Aberg -6

T8. Xander Schauffele -5

T8. Zach Johnson -5

T8. Jason Day -5

T8. Corey Conners -5

Rory McIlroy wins the Masters with a birdie in his first play-off hole against Justin Rose.

Rose played well and came within a whisker of making birdie himself, but McIlroy's stunning approach was turned in from close range to spark wild celebrations.

The relief on his face is unbelievable.

He has won the career Grand Slam and ended an 11-year wait for a major title.

It was right there for Rory McIlroy.

A putt from six feet to win the Masters rolls past the hole.

He and Justin Rose will go to a play-off. This is incredible drama.

McIlroy smoked one off the tee, hit his approach into a green-side bunker, played a smart shot out but then couldn't convert for his first green jacket.

This will be unbearably painful if he doesn't go on to win this now.

There have been plenty of magical moments today, and Rory McIlroy has just come up with another.

An unbelievable 7 iron approach leaves him two feet for birdie, and that could be the birdie that wins him the green jacket.

Justin Rose is hitting balls on the range, but if McIlroy pars the last, a play-off won't be necessary.

1. Rory McIlroy -12 (17)

2. Justin Rose -11 (F)

Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose are tied for the lead again.

Rose has just holed a monster putt on 18 to card a sensational 66 - what a round from him. That moves him to -11 and that's where he'll stay.

Rory McIlroy could have gone to -12 after a lovely tee shot on the par-three 16th, but he missed his putt by a whisker and has to settle for par.

T1. Justin Rose -11 (F)

T1. Rory McIlroy -11 (16)

As incredible as Rory McIlroy finding the water was on the 13th, what he has just done on the 15th is even more incredible, and for an entirely different reason.

Faced with a seemingly impossible second shot over the water and onto the par-five green, McIlroy was blocked out by trees and needed to hit a sweeping long-range hook.

How about five feet from the hole?

He makes a mess of the eagle putt but it's an easy birdie to retake the lead.

1. Rory McIlroy -11 (15)

T2. Ludvig Aberg -10 (16)

T2. Justin Rose -10 (17)

These are worrying times for Rory McIlroy, who has dropped another shot at 14.

It could have been even worse for him, but Justin Rose missed a tricky par putt and dropped one himself.

Ludvig Aberg now has every chance after picking up a birdie on 15. All three men are tied for the lead.

T1. Justin Rose -10 (17)

T1. Rory McIlroy -10 (14)

T1. Ludvig Aberg -10 (15)

Rory McIlroy has found the water on the 13th out of absolutely nowhere.

He did everything sensibly and laid up with his second shot, only to completely fluff his chip and come up short.

That's cost him two shots. Will it cost him the green jacket?

PGA Tour winner Andrew Magee told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra: "That's just a cardinal sin."

Meanwhile, Justin Rose holes a four-footer for birdie and all of a sudden he is tied for the lead!

T1. Rory McIlroy -11 (13)

T1. Justin Rose -11 (16)

3. Ludvig Aberg -9 (14)

Bryson DeChambeau is now completely out of the picture after bogeying the 12th to go to -6.

Rory McIlroy is still way out in front on -13. The par-three 12th and the water that comes with it always presents a danger, but he navigated it just fine and can breathe a sigh of relief after making par.

Justin Rose is still his nearest challenger - he's just birdied 15.

1. Rory McIlroy -13 (12)

2. Justin Rose -10 (15)

3. Ludvig Aberg -9 (13)

That bogey on 11 came at the perfect time for Rory McIlroy, as Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Rose also slipped up.

Rose ran into issues off the tee on the 14th and couldn't salvage his par.

DeChambeau found the water on the 11th and then misread a fairly short putt. He comes away with an agonising double and is now surely out of green jacket contention.

Here are the standings at the top...

1. Rory McIlroy -13 (11)

2. Justin Rose -9 (14)

T3. Patrick Reed -8 (12)

T3. Ludvig Aberg -8 (12)

Rory McIlroy has found a birdie on 10 with a brilliant putt after a stunning long-range approach shot.

Bryson DeChambeau holes out for par but it's Justin Rose who occupies second spot now after his birdie on 13.

It could have been even better for Rose, whose eagle putt missed by a whisker.

1. Rory McIlroy -14 (10)

2. Justin Rose -10 (13)

T3. Ludvig Aberg -9 (11)

T3. Bryson DeChambeau -9 (10)

Rory McIlroy is no longer battling one golfer for the green jacket - two more have joined the party.

Luckily for him, he's just birdied the ninth to get to 13 under.

Meanwhile Justin Rose has birdied the 12th to move level with Bryson DeChambeau, and Ludvig Aberg is right there with them after finding a shot on the 10th.

Rory's now four clear, and this is how we stand.

1. Rory McIlroy -13 (9)

T2. Bryson DeChambeau -9 (9)

T2. Justin Rose -9 (12)

T2. Ludvig Aberg -9 (10)

Pars all round on the par-five eighth, and Bryson DeChambeau will be disappointed not to chip away at Rory McIlroy's three-shot advantage.

Meanwhile, other challengers are beginning to creep into the equation, including Justin Rose, who has just birdied the 11th. He still believes he has a chance.

Here are the latest scores at the top...

1. Rory McIlroy -12 (8)

2. Bryson DeChambeau -9 (8)

T3. Ludvig Aberg -8 (9)

T3. Corey Conners -8 (8)

T3. Justin Rose -8 (11)

Nick Faldo has just been stunned, as have the rest of us.

McIlroy lost his tee shot ever so slightly down the left tree line on 7, prompting DeChambeau to learn from this error and club down before placing his ball nicely in the fariway. 

McIlroy looked like he would have to pitch out into the fairway... but then, he tapped into his genius. Well, either genius or madness.

He takes an iron and lashes the ball through the smallest of gaps - somehow making the green. The birdie putt is an agonising side-winder, which he leaves inches short and taps in for par.

Bryson meanwhile finds the front bunker with his approach, before feathering a gorgeous wedge from the sand. He too misses the birdie putt and taps in for par.

This is breathtaking golf. We move on to the 8th.

The long par three saw both McIlroy and DeChambeau shoot to the back of the green, with the pin precariously placed by the back shelf.

Both men trickle putts down just shy of the cup, and duly tap in for pars.

Elsewhere in the field, defending champion Scottie Scheffler moves to 7-under.

As things stand, Rory leads on 12-under, Bryson behind him at 9-under.

The new kid on the block, Ludvig Aberg, occupies third spot at 8-under.

And save is the key word here, as the two putts were stomach-turning.

McIlroy's chip onto the green was deft, but these surfaces just have no moisture in them at all because of the sub-air system.

Rory's chip meandered a good 6ft past, but he holds his nerve to follow up the par.

Meanwhile, DeChambeau's birdie attempt spurns the cup and juts along a little too hot, providing a tough return putt.

Like McIlroy, however, he holds his nerve. On we go to the sixth. 

Rory pulls off a sublime iron shot from deep into the trees, following an errant tee shot on 5.

He pulls his full brute into the swing, and finds the back edge of the green. He'll have a little chip now over to the pin, to hopefully secure a tap-in par.

Meanwhile DeChambeau hits the green beautifully, having placed himself bang in the middle of the fairway from the tee.

He now has around 10-feet to secure a birdie.

Another huge swing in this heavyweight Masters battle.

Bryson DeChambeau misses the green on the par-three fourth, makes a hash of his long putt, and comes away with a four.

Rory McIlroy hits a beauty to within eight feet and sneaks it in for a birdie.

McIlroy firmly in charge now.

1. Rory McIlroy -12 (4)

2. Bryson DeChambeau -9 (4)

Rory McIlroy holes a big, swinging putt on three to walk off with a birdie.

How he needed that.

Bryson DeChambeau was left scrambling to make a par and his putt just misses the mark.

The American makes bogey and falls back to second.

1. Rory McIlroy -11 (3)

2. Bryson DeChambeau -10 (3)

Not a total disaster for Rory McIlroy as he makes par after again finding the bunker off the tee.

But Bryson DeChambeau storms into the lead with a birdie on the par-five second.

The scores after two...

1. Bryson DeChambeau -11 (2)

2. Rory McIlroy -10 (2)

Just like that, Rory McIlroy's overnight two-shot lead has been wiped out.

He makes double bogey on the first hole after finding the fairway bunker and fumbling a nasty three-putt.

Bryson DeChambeau holes a mid-range putt for par.

The scores after the first...

T1. Rory McIlroy -10 (1)

T1. Bryson DeChambeau -10 (1)

Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau are the final group to start their final rounds.

There are a million reasons why this will be so intriguing.

But Sir Nick Faldo has summed it up well, telling Sky Sports: "You've got two guys who are completely different. You've got the tactician, and you've got the street fighter."

The bad news for Rory, the tactician, is that he's gone straight in the fairway bunker.

The good news is that DeChambeau has hooked his miles left. Two nervous starts.

Rory McIlroy admitted he spent the time before his final round on Sunday distracting himself by watching other sports.

The four-time major winner's pre-round tactic speaks volumes about how much pressure he is under going into a blockbuster showdown with Bryson DeChambeau and the rest of the chasing pack.

McIlroy has tried to block out the noise over the course of the four days, and it has served him well so far.

Let's see if it can continue.

He said: "I watched [Carlos] Alcaraz win the tennis. I watched a bit of soccer, a bit of F1. I tried to keep myself distracted with other sports.

"Then you’re trying to get your time in. Once you get to the course, things settle down. I’m just trying to go through my strategy for the day and turn up with the same energy I’ve had for the past three days."

Jordan Spieth left a Masters official hunched over in pain after tagging him in the nether region with the grip of his golf club.

Cameras picked up the American smirking as he made his way to the next hole, having cheekily got one over on one of his Augusta pals.

Rory McIlroy will comfortably win his first Masters if he shoots three under today, according to legendary caddie Billy Foster.

McIlroy managed a pair of six-under 66s in rounds two and three, and another similar performance will surely earn him his first green jacket.

Bryson DeChambeau will start the day only two shots behind.

Foster said: "I think Rory wins by four. I think he'll shoot three under and that will be enough."

Tommy Fleetwood is back in the red for the tournament after a birdie-birdie start to his final round.

The Englishman had been tipped by several high-profile golf experts to make a serious challenge for the green jacket this year, but it has not quite come together for him.

Fleetwood won't be catching the leaders but he'll be keen to put on a show today.

Justin Rose is at Augusta and ready to throw down for the final round later today.

The Englishman led after the first two rounds but fell away yesterday, leaving him on -5, seven shots behind front-runner Rory McIlroy.

Upon arriving at the famous course on Sunday morning, Rose posted a picture on X with the caption: "Let's have a day @TheMasters".

The early goers are out, and Hideki Matsuyama has birdied the first.

The Japanese star is still way back though at three over par, and has serious work to do to get into contention.

There is no chance of a weather delay at Augusta today.

The weather is set fair for a dramatic final round....

We are now just minutes away from the final round getting underway.

Brian Campbell will go out with a marker at 2.40pm, with Hideki Matsuyama and Akshay Bhatia teeing off 10 minutes later.

Sky Sports will be broadcasting the final round from Augusta. The main coverage will begin at 5pm, with featured groups being shown from 3pm.

The tournament can also be watched via the Sky Go app. There will be no live coverage or highlights on the BBC, but the action will be live on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, the BBC Sport website and BBC Sounds app.

Rory McIlroy will prevail at Augusta tonight if artificial intelligence is anything to go by.

According to Prime Casino, who have the latest casino games,  their Supercomputer predicts McIlroy has a 77.7 per cent chance of winning the tournament, up from 21.6 per cent on Saturday morning.

Bryson DeChambeau is only given a 16 per cent chance of turning the tables on McIlroy.

Golf trainer Rob Hobkinson has lauded the influence of Rory McIlroy as the star prepares for a defining day at the Masters.

“Rory is clearly a great example of being super disciplined," he told Betway. "When he goes into the gym, he does not waste time. Given how busy he appears to be off the course, it is impressive how he manages his overall workload but still manages to win events. 

“He’s a sportsman and a figurehead for the PGA Tour and a businessman and yet when he goes into the gym, it is as if that's all he is doing. When Rory trains, it is with intensity and focus. It’s a shame aspiring tour golfers don’t get to see it.”

Swedish golfer Ludvig Aberg has played down his chances of catching Rory McIlroy as he prepares to tee off six shots behind the leader at the Masters.

“I think when he plays his best golf, it's hard to catch him," he said. "I don't think there's a lot of guys in this world that can catch him when he plays at his best.”

Rory McIlroy could lose almost half of his £3.2 million prize money if he wins the Masters today.

According to a tax expert Paul Barham, a tax bill totalling 42.39 per cent to be deducted from his winnings.

He told the Daily Express: "Any prize money earned will be subject to US federal tax, the top rate of which is still 37 per cent. Golfers will also have to pay state tax in Georgia at 5.39 per cent.

"The US tax will be paid by all golfers playing at Augusta regardless of where they are tax resident and if they are a tax resident in the US, they shouldn't pay tax on this prize money in any other country."

Rory McIlroy has been warned he has "no excuse" not to win the Masters as he takes a two shot lead into the final day.

His former Ryder Cup teammate Jamie Donaldson has told Genting Casino, who have the latest casino games': “Rory McIlroy is playing unbelievable golf. There's absolutely no excuses. He's in the perfect position to go and win on Sunday.

“In his last five tournaments he’s finished first, 17th, 15th, first and fifth and has now taken his career earnings past £100million. Only Tiger has done better. It's unbelievable really. He couldn't be playing any better.”

Rory McIlroy is now deemed the 1/2 favourite to wear a green jacket at Augusta on Sunday night.

According to Betfair, McIlroy has come down from 10/3 as of Saturday morning. Justin Rose however, who led after two rounds, is now out at 250/1 after his third round 75.

Betfair Masters odds: Rory McIlroy 1/2; Bryson Dechambeau 5/2; Corey Conners 16/1; Scottie Scheffler, Ludvig Aberg 40/1; Patrick Reed 80/1; Shane Lowry 125/1; Jason Day 150/1; Xander Schauffele 200/1; Justin Rose - 250/1.

Canadian golfer Corey Connors believes he can still win the Masters despite trailing Rory McIlroy by six shots.

Conners will play in the penultimate group on Sunday with Patrick Reed, also six under.

“I’ve got a lot of faith in my game,” he said. “What the other guys do is kind of out of my control, but I’m going to have to go and play a really good round of golf tomorrow."

Jason Day isn't giving up hope of winning the Masters despite being seven shots behind leader Rory McIlroy.

“If he doesn’t do anything early tomorrow, there’s some pressure,” Day said. “If he comes out and he shoots even par the front side, you get something going – say four-under the front nine – you’re only three back. Anything can happen.”

The action gets underway today shortly before 2pm at Augusta. However, the serious contenders won't head to the first until later tonight, with Colin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland, both three under par, among those needing an early charge.

Here's how the leading 16 players will line-up...

6.10pm: Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland; 6.20pm: Sungjae Im, Max Homa; 6.40pm: Nicolas Echavarria, Xander Schauffele; 6.50pm: Justin Rose, Zach Johnson; 7pm: Scottie Scheffler, Shane Lowry; 7.10pm: Ludvig Aberg, Jason Day; 7.20pm: Corey Conners, Patrick Reed; 7.30pm: Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau.

FULL TEE OFF TIMES HERE.

Whoever prevails today will win a record amount of prize money for the tournament in Augusta.

This year, organisers are offering more than £16million overall. Whoever dons the green jacket will take home a cheque for £3.2million, an increase on the £.27m defending champion Scottie Scheffler got in 2024.

FULL PRIZE MONEY DETAILS HERE.

Bryson DeChambeau has explained his steely look on the 18th on Saturday after sinking a 50 foot putt to keep his Masters hopes live.

"Just getting the patrons going. Having a bit of fun with them," he said. "Makes me focus more. I don't know. It's a fun thing that whenever I feel like I feed into the crowd, especially the patrons here, they give that energy back. And it's a cool feeling, so I used that a couple times today."

Rory McIlroy was bullish about his chances after his 66 left him two clear of Bryson DeChambeau on Saturday.

"I'm excited," he said. "I'm not going to shy away from it. Situations like this are the reason I get up, practice, and try and do all the right things. If I didn't want this moment I wouldn't be doing this. These are the pairings and moments I want to be in. I'm excited about it."

So, it all comes down to this.

Rory McIlroy at 12 under par. Bryson DeChambeau at 10 under par. An epic final-round showdown awaits. 

We will bring you all the news, updates, and drama from Augusta as the Northern Irishman bids to fulfil his destiny....