Rory McIlroy finally wins Masters, completes career grand slam; NBA playoffs, play-in games set

Plus, the WNBA Draft is tonight, and there's a star at the top

By Zachary Pereles

Apr 14, 2025 at 8:49 am ET • 8 min read

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🏌 Good morning to all, but especially to ...

RORY McILROY, MASTERS CHAMPION

He could have gone away Thursday, when he double bogeyed two of his last four holes to fall seven shots back, the largest 18-hole deficit ever overcome at the Masters.

He could have gone away early Sunday, when he double bogeyed the first hole and saw his lead disappear. Or 12 holes later, when he shockingly shoved a 78-yard pitch some 20 yards right and into the water en route to another double bogey. Or on what could have been the clincher at Augusta National Golf Club on 18, where a missed short par putt meant the peril of a playoff.

Then again, he could have gone away at any time over the 11 years, but Rory McIlroy kept showing up, kept plugging away, kept going, heartbreak after heartbreak, question after question -- even questioning himself. McIlroy is the 2025 Masters champion, winning his first green jacket and becoming just the sixth man to win the career grand slam.

On the opening hole (18) of the playoff against Justin Rose, McIlroy stuffed his approach shot to 4 feet. After Rose missed a makeable birdie putt, McIlroy sank his and celebrated emotionally, collapsing to the green, sobbing and yelling with relief.
And what a relief it is. Since winning the 2014 PGA Championship, he had finished in the top five at a major 11 times and runner-up (including ties) four times.
Every other career grand slam winner -- Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen -- got the final part of the slam in three tries or fewer. This was McIlroy's 11th try at Augusta National.
Woods was among those who congratulated McIlroy on his triumph.

Resilience is an intangible thing. You can't put a number on it. But you can try, especially given the trials and tribulations over the last 11 years overall and the last four days at Augusta:

11 years between major titles, tied for the longest all-time
17th career appearance at the Masters, second-most before a win (Sergio Garcia, 19)
First player to win the Masters despite making four double bogeys
Tied Woods (2005) and Nick Faldo (1990) for largest 18-hole deficit overcome at the Masters

Even McIlroy wasn't sure he'd ever win here. That's right, a guy at the top of his sport for over a decade contemplated losing belief. So count this as a win for McIlroy, yes, but count it as a victory for never giving up -- for the cliches you roll your eyes at but led McIlroy to his breakthrough.

It is an all-time win to cap an all-time Masters, Robby Kalland writes. Here's Patrick McDonald's dispatch from a heart-stirring, instant-classic Sunday from Augusta.

McDonald: "Winning the Masters and completing the career grand slam was never going to be easy. Not for Rory McIlroy. Why would it be? Golf doesn't care about your name or pedigree or what you've accomplished previously -- even if you're one of the all-timers the game has ever produced."

😄 Honorable mentions

McIlroy pocketed $4.2 million in winnings.
Ohio State got its national championship rings.
Carson Beck was cleared to throw.
DJ Lagway will start throwing in a few weeks.
Michigan men's basketball is crushing the transfer portal.
Here's the NHL playoff picture as we enter the final days of the season.
At UFC 314, Alexander Volkanovski recaptured the featherweight title by beating Diego Lopes, and Paddy Pimblett TKOed Michael Chandler. Here are the fights that should come next.
Amanda Nunes will enter the UFC Hall of Fame.
Kyle Larson won the Food City 500.

😞 And not such a good morning for ...

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU

Yes, it's another devastating loss for Rose. It's his third runner-up finish at Augusta and his second in a playoff. A magnificent Sunday 66 including a thunderous birdie on 18 went for naught. If McIlroy unlocking his missing Masters was the focus of the week, we can't overlook Rose still trying to find the secret path to his.

But the storyline entering Sunday was McIlroy vs. Bryson DeChambeau, and when DeChambeau turned a two-stroke deficit into a one-stroke lead after just two holes, it looked like we'd have a great battle, just as we did last year when DeChambeau beat McIlroy at the U.S. Open.

Instead, DeChambeau found the water and made double bogey on 11 -- and then found the water again on 15. He finished tied for fifth, four shots off the pace.

There was an incredible finish, all right, but it didn't include DeChambeau. Rory vs. Bryson 2.0 fell flat.

😳 Not so honorable mentions

In a stunning development, Tennessee is moving on from quarterback Nico Iamaleava after he missed practice during an ongoing NIL dispute. It's a big blow for the Volunteers and for NIL as a whole, Chris Hummer writes.
Here's what coach Josh Heupel had to say, and here's what's next for Tennessee and for Iamaleava. We'll keep you updated right here.

🏀 NBA playoff, play-in matchups set as regular season concludes

The NBA regular season has come and gone, but not before coming down to the wire -- down to the very last game, in fact. With the Clippers beating the Warriors, 124-119, in overtime, this is what the Western Conference looks like:

Play-in: Warriors vs. Grizzlies, winner is No. 7 seed
Play-in: Kings-Mavericks winner plays Warriors-Grizzlies loser for No. 8 seed
First round: No. 1 Thunder vs. No. 8 Warriors/Grizzlies/Kings/Mavericks
First round: No. 2 Rockets vs. No. 7 Warriors/Grizzlies
First round: No. 3 Lakers vs. No. 6 Timberwolves
First round: No. 4 Nuggets vs. No. 5 Clippers

Golden State dropping two of its last three and three of its last five to fall into the play-in makes them a loser on the final day. The team it lost to, though, is a big winner, Colin Ward-Henninger writes.

Ward-Henninger: "Winner: Clippers as title contenders -- Kawhi Leonard and James Harden combined for 72 points, 17 assists and 13 rebounds on 26-for-42 (62%) shooting, including 9 of 16 from 3-point range ...Meanwhile, Ivica Zubac punished the small-ball Warriors, going for 22 points and 17 rebounds on 11-of-16 shooting as the Clippers improved to 18-3 since March 5 ... Leonard is healthy and dominant, Harden is resurgent, and the Clippers are absolutely terrifying."

In the East ...

Play-in: Magic vs. Hawks, winner is 7 seed
Play-in: Bulls-Heat winner plays Magic-Hawks loser for 8 seed
First round: No. 1 Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Magic/Hawks/Bulls/Heat
First round: No. 2 Celtics vs. No. 7 Magic/Hawks
First round: No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 6 Pistons
First round: No. 4 Pacers vs. No. 5 Bucks

Here's more:

What to know about the play-in
Playoff bracket
Playoff schedule
Lottery odds
Nikola Jokić became the first center to average a triple-double for a season.
Jaylen Brown got a painkilling injection in his knee.
Nick Nurse and Daryl Morey will return next season.
The Trail Blazers extended coach Chauncey Billups.

🏀 WNBA Draft preview

The WNBA Draft is tonight, and in a draft full of unknowns, we know one thing for certain: Paige Bueckers will go No. 1 overall to the Wings.

We haven't covered Bueckers -- the UConn superstar who just won a national title -- as much because her status atop the draft has been well-established. But just how good is she? Jack Maloney assessed where Bueckers ranks among the last 10 No. 1 overall picks, and let's just say she fares well.

Maloney: "The former Naismith Award winner and three-time AP All-American does everything well on the offensive end, except, perhaps, hunt her own shots, and is an underrated defender. The only real knock is her extensive injury history, but she hasn't had a major injury since 2022."

On the eve of the draft, Bueckers also committed to play in Unrivaled, and that should make everyone happy, because she's a joy to watch. Also on the eve of the draft, the Sky acquired the No. 11 pick from the Lynx.

As for tonight ...

How to watch, top storylines, players to know
Jack's latest mock draft
Biggest needs, best fits for every team
How Hailey Van Lith went from afterthought to potential first-round pick

⚾ MLB Power Rankings, weekend roundup

Another week, another No. 1 in Matt Snyder's MLB Power Rankings. Yes, it's early, but the NL West looks loaded. Here's the top six ... and you'll see why we're going six.

Padres (previous: 5)
Mets (7)
Cubs (9)
Giants (4)
Phillies (2)
Dodgers (2)

Yes, that's three NL West teams. Plus, the 9-7 Diamondbacks are ninth. The Rockies are ... 30th. But still! Four in the top nine is absurd.

On the other end, the 4-11 Braves were Matt's main focus this week, and not for good reason. We'll see if Spencer Strider's expected return helps turn things around.

Elsewhere ...

Garrett Crochet came up five outs short of a no-hitter against his former team.
Brandon Woodruff is on the comeback trail.
Justin Steele (elbow) is done for the season.
Masyn Winn (back spasms) is on the IL.
So is Marcus Stroman (knee).
The Twins demoted Jose Miranda after an awful mental error.

Kyren Lacy dies at 24

Kyren Lacy, a 2025 NFL Draft wide receiver prospect out of LSU, died Saturday night.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office in Houston, Texas, police were dispatched to investigate an incident that involved Lacy allegedly discharging a weapon during an argument.
Lacy wasn't on the scene when police arrived, but they were able to track his vehicle, leading to a miles-long chase.
Lacy's car eventually crashed, and when police approached, they discovered Lacy had died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In January, Lacy was arrested and charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run with death and reckless operation of a vehicle stemming from a Dec. 17 crash that killed a 78-year-old man and injured two others.

Lacy led the Tigers in receiving touchdowns (nine) and was second on the team in receptions (58) and receiving yards (866) last season.