Golf at Augusta National is a game of the finest margins.
For 14 holes during Thursday’s first round, Rory McIlroy was accepting of those margins. He had four birdies and no blotches on his scorecard to sit tied for second heading to No. 15.
Then, twice in three holes, disaster struck.
McIlroy played the par-5 15th well, going long over the green on his second shot to set up an up-and-down for birdie.
The “up” part of that proved challenging.
McIlroy chipped toward the hole and needed his ball to stop. It didn’t, and it hit the crest at the front of the green and rolled right on in to the drink.
The Masters simply requires shots that have the smallest margin for error.
Imagine a guy as good as Rory McIlroy chipping into the water. Yet he wasn’t even the first to do it today.
Doubles bogey. Masters champs just can’t do this. pic.twitter.com/Bs24UjkdMF
— Rick Golfs (@Top100Rick) April 10, 2025
MORE: Revisiting Rory McIlroy’s Masters meltdown
McIlroy had to settle for a double-bogey 7.
Then on 17, McIlroy overcooked his second shot on the par-4 out of the rough. He rocketed a flyer well past its destination, and he couldn’t come close to saving par this time, either.
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A double-bogey 6 on No. 17 had McIlroy all the way back to even, just a few holes after he could’ve made birdie on No. 14 to go to 5-under. He parred the par-4 18th to finish the first round with an even-par 72.
The Masters is the only major McIlroy hasn’t won yet, and with shots like these, it seems unlikely this will be his year, either.
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