'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Tiger Woods has won the Masters five times in his career, but his most recent victory in 2019 stands out as one of the historic moments. It was a really emotional moment for him, and veteran sports commentator Mike Tirico recently compared it to Rory McIlroy's victory at the Masters in 2025.
Mike Tirico was recently featured on The Smylie Show, a YouTube channel, where he discussed a variety of topics. One of these was the emotional Masters wins that have occurred over the years. Initially, he compared a few wins, including Tiger Woods (1997 and 2019) and Jack Nicklaus (1986). Tirico explained (14:38 onwards):
"I've gotten the question a few times, the best Masters ever, and you know people are prisoners of the moment or their Instagram feed, one of the two, right. Like, Tiger 97 was as good as it gets. Tiger 2019 was pretty close to as good as it gets. And Jack 86 was all-time good as it gets, right? So let's remember those three and then we can fill in after that, right, like let's not throw everything away."
Trending
After explaining the emotional impact of Tiger Woods' and other players' victories, Mike Tirico discussed Rory McIlroy. The commentator explained that McIlroy's victory was entirely different, as it was a back-and-forth. Many players vied for the top spot, and even in the end, McIlroy needed to gain an advantage in the playoffs. He continued (16:10 onwards):
"But from when the winning putt fell, that moment until the walk back up, they felt almost the same, different ways. For Tiger, it was Charlie waiting for him, which was just juxtaposed with his dad 22 years before.
"Rory is a little bit different, but the same kind of feel, and I thought what really stuck to me was Rory was kind of tunnel vision the whole day walking green to tee right, trying to politely acknowledge but not see or interact with any of the patrons."
How did Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy perform during their respective Masters' victories?
Tiger Woods' (2019) and Rory McIlroy's (2025) Masters victories were extremely emotional for both players. For Woods, it was a comeback from a lot of things, while for McIlroy, it was a moment where he created history. Here's how they both performed during their respective victories:
The Masters 2019:
- Tiger Woods won the April 11-14 tournament at Augusta National Golf Club with a score of 275 (-13). He finished one stroke ahead of Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka. This victory was especially significant because it was his first Major win in 11 years. On top of that, it came following a series of personal and professional challenges, and it is widely regarded as one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.
The Masters 2025:
- Rory McIlroy won his first green jacket, completing the career Grand Slam at Augusta National in 2025. He won with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff with Justin Rose. Before the playoffs, Rose and McIlroy finished the tournament at 11-under-par 277. McIlroy's victory made him the sixth golfer in history—and the first European—to win all four Major championships.
