How did Rory McIlroy do in Round 1 of the 2025 Masters?

Rory McIlroy shot an even-par 72 in the first round of The Masters and is now seven shots behind leader Justin Rose, who sits at seven under par. McIlroy's opening round featured mistakes similar to the ones that have held him back from winning the coveted green jacket.

The Northern Irishman was at four under par as he stood on the 14th green at Augusta National on Thursday. McIlroy was staring down an eight footer which, if successful, would have placed him at five under par for the round and in solo second place behind leader Justin Rose.

McIlroy narrowly missed the eight-foot putt following which his round began to unravel. After a par on 14, Rory McIlroy found the fairway on the par-five 15th hole. However, his approach shot rolled off the back of the green.

That was when the wheels began to come off. Like Patrick Cantlay who played the 15th hole before him, McIlroy's chip shot rolled over the green and into the pond in front of the green. That resulted in a double bogey, putting him at two under par for the tournament.

Rory McIlroy hit the green and made par on the par-three 16th hole. On the par-four 17th hole, McIlroy was about a foot off the fairway, roughly 170 yards from the hole as he lined up for his approach shot.

Later, his approach to 17 sailed over the green. His subsequent chip back onto the green ran 28 feet past the hole. McIlroy then three-putted, resulting in his second double bogey of the round. He managed to scramble for par on 18, finishing with an even-par 72.

It took only three holes for McIlroy to go from challenging the leader to a tie for 27th place.

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Rory McIlroy aims to overcome years of struggles at Augusta National

In Picture: Rory McIlroy at The 2011 Masters Tournament (via Getty)

This week, Rory McIlroy is making his 11th attempt to complete the career grand slam. The four-time major champion is also in the 11th year of a major championship drought, marked by numerous close calls and heartbreaks.

In 2011, McIlroy seemed poised to win his first major title at Augusta National. He opened the tournament with a seven-under-par 65 and was the leader after each of the first three rounds.

McIlroy entered the final round with a four-shot lead over the four players tied for second place. He ultimately shot the worst final round score in Masters history for anyone who had entered the final round with the lead - an eight-over-par 80. He finished tied for 15th place.

The 28-time PGA Tour winner's other notable near-miss at Augusta National occurred in the 2018 Masters, where he was in the final pairing on Sunday with Patrick Reed. McIlroy began the final round three strokes behind Reed, but had an opportunity to tie for the lead on the par-five second hole.

McIlroy's approach shot into the second hole settled only a few feet away, giving him a short eagle putt. However, he missed the putt and struggled for the rest of the round, ultimately shooting a two-over-par 74 and finishing six shots behind Reed, who won the event.