The Masters: 37 random thoughts and takeaways from Augusta National (2025 edition)

It’s currently 9.23am in Augusta, Georgia, and I’ve had about four hours sleep. Maybe less. 

Thanks, Rory.

But seriously – thanks, Rory. Yesterday was one of the most exhilarating, horrible, magnificent, nerve-shredding, and emotional days I can remember, and it was almost exclusively down to the diminutive Northern Irishman with the bouncy stride, endearingly palpable vulnerability, and God-given talent.

History was made – actual, meaningful history – and it was a privilege to watch it unfold.

The time for flowery, descriptive prose will come in due course, I’m sure. But for now, here’s a collection of random thoughts, takeaways, hot takes and more that have been filling up my notebook over the last week.

As always, thanks for reading.

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1. Wow!

2. Honestly, I feared for Rory McIlroy on Sunday morning. Had he not converted this particular opportunity, I don’t think he ever would have. There’s only so much scar tissue and trauma a person can endure. Fortunately, we’ll never need to find out what his threshold is.

3. Those scenes of jubilant relief and guttural, unfiltered emotion on 18 when he finally sealed it will remain with me forever. Some people will tell you that sport doesn’t matter. On the one hand, they’re right. On the other, they couldn’t be more wrong. Sport, at its best, stirs feelings within those of us watching that nothing else can. It connects with us in a way that nothing else is able to. It’s perfect in its own imperfection; significant in its own insignificance; impactful in its own meaninglessness. And when a new chapter of its history is written, it engenders the kind of unity and singular joy that nothing else can. It’s the best.

4. I’m struck by the similarities between McIlroy’s Masters moment and Andy Murray’s Wimbledon breakthrough in 2013. Like McIlroy, Murray endured well-documented heartbreak in the face of extraordinary pressure – both internal and external – before he finally completed his magnum opus. And when he did, it was only after he had discovered a new sort of Zen, thanks in no small part to his stoic coach Ivan Lendl. For Murray and Lendl, see McIlroy and Dr Bob Rotella. It’s noticeable that Rory has become more comfortable with and within himself, more relaxed but, equally, more focussed. Murray had to endure pain and stress in that Wimbledon final 12 years ago as McIlroy did at Augusta yesterday. But both endured. I’m in awe of them both.

5. Where are all the Harry Diamond haters now? Still “NoT a PrOpEr CaDdIe”, yeah?

6. The thing about Harry… being quiet and reserved isn’t a weakness. Quite the contrary actually. Rory is all emotion and heart-on-the-sleeve mania. He’s every emoji in your phone all at once. Imagine they were both like that? Harry is the perfect foil for his pal. Never gets too low, never gets too high. Look at his reaction to Rory’s approaches into seven, 15 – twice – and 17 over the weekend. Equilibrium in a boiler suit. He never gets in the way, never tries to be part of the moment or, worse still, hijack it. He is precisely the caddie Rory needs. Anybody who says otherwise isn’t worth listening to.

• Watch: Rory McIlroy’s hometown club erupts after Masters win

• Bryson DeChambeau: Rory McIlroy snubbed me in Masters final round

7. McIlroy’s shot into 15 on Sunday… I haven’t felt that good since Archie Gemmill scored against Holland in 1978.

8. Northern Ireland has a population of around 1.9 million. It barely cracks the top-150 biggest countries in the world. But it’s one of only three to have produced a golf career grand slam champion. GAWA!

9. Justin Peter Rose. What an absolute gentleman. It’s a gut-wrenching shame that McIlroy’s victory had to come at his expense, particularly considering the heartache the Englishman suffered at Royal Troon last summer. At 44, his window to add to his solitary major win is closing but his time will come. I’m certain of it. If nothing else, ye Golf Gods owe him.

10. Augusta National remains the most beautiful stage in all of sport, a sensory overload that dazzles and charms like nothing else.

11. Golf roars > any roar in any other sport.

12. Bryson DeChambeau may have wilted badly in the final round but he remains one of the best things about golf right now. Pure box office.

13. Ludvig Aberg has finished second and seventh on his two Masters starts. He’s going to win about six Green Jackets.

14. Nike, genius marketers that they are, outdid themselves with this advert celebrating McIlroy’s win.

15. This year marked the tenth anniversary of Jordan Spieth’s Masters win and major breakthrough. The fact that his biggest contribution to this week was grousing about mud balls was illustrative of how much of an unfortunate afterthought he has become in the game’s marquee events. He has three majors. It’s almost impossible to see him adding a fourth.

16. I know they treat amateurs particularly well at The Masters but that doesn’t mean you get to take a piss on the course, Jose Luis Ballester.

17. Maybe they should change the name of Rae’s Creek to Ballester’s Bog.

• “He can retire now” – Shane Lowry reacts to Rory McIlroy’s Masters win

• Tiger Woods leads tributes to new Masters champion Tiger Woods

18. Many (most?) players would have withdrawn after opening with an almost historically bad 90 in the opening round. Nick Dunlap did not. Instead, the 21-year-old – making only his second Masters start – dusted himself down, showed up on day two, and shot a one-under 71. He finished DFL and six shots adrift of his nearest challenger on the leaderboard, but he leaves with enormous credit for refusing to quit. I hope he wins here one day.

19. That being said, shelling balls into no man’s land – as Dunlap did after his lousy Thursday – seems like a particularly creative way to tank your Airbnb rating.

20. It’s easy to be cynical about the Honorary Starter’s ceremony – believe me, the eyerolls are borderline audible – but here’s the deal: Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson have a combined age of 249. They’ve played in 459 majors and won 35 of them. They are legitimate legends of the game. In the case of Jack, specifically, how many more golf shots will we get to see him hit? It’s probably less than five. Let’s enjoy them whilst we can, and be thankful we ever got to see them at all.

21. Every year, Augusta National demonstrates how easy it is to enforce a ‘no phones’ policy. The consequences? No douchebaggery like we saw at The PLAYERS and a considerably better atmosphere. The patrons exist entirely in the moment, completely present, and with two free hands to applaud with. I wish other events would have the confidence to follow ANGC’s example. Besides, nobody’s interested in your grainy footage of Jason Day hitting shots on the range, Barry.

22. It is, however, objectively hilarious that the golf tournament with the hands-down, no-doubt-about-it, best app in sport doesn’t allow people to use it on site.

23. I’ve written and said rather a lot about Angel Cabrera over the past week and, to be honest, there’s not much more to say. Except this: he shouldn’t have been there and I’m glad he wasn’t over the weekend.

24. Be honest now… how often did you think about Tiger Woods this week?

25. I’m a big fan of Akshay Bhatia. Great energy, massive talent, humungous potential. But why is a 23-year-old using a broom-handle putter? It’s absurd that the R&A and USGA haven’t banned these ridiculous yip-enablers yet.

26. Also, how small is Bhatia’s waist! I’ve no way of knowing this but I’m sure he could hula-hoop with Brooks Koepka’s wedding ring.

27. Dunno how much the team in charge of the Masters’ social media accounts gets paid but, whatever it is, it’s not enough. Hands-down, the best content creators in the game. Here’s one example. And another. And another.

28. Last year, it was Jason Day and his sweater vest. This year, it was Cam Smith and his dress jacket. Begs the question, which Aussie will play it fast and loose with the dress code next year, and is it too much to hope for Adam Scott in Speedos?

• Rory McIlroy: New Masters champion’s press conference transcript in full

• “I followed Rory’s final round in full. Here’s what you didn’t see.” 

29. It is evidently impossible to walk down the right hand side of ten and not try to find the exact spot where Bubba Watson hit that hooky, tournament-winning wedge in 2012. Just lay the damn plaque already!

30. Alas, the Masters Shop has jumped the shark. At times this week, queues to get in were an hour-and-a-half long. Crazy. You could watch Patrick Cantlay play two holes in that time.

31. At the time of writing, you can buy a 2025 Masters gnome (RRP $50) on eBay for $1,100. Nobody has overspent by that much since Yasir Al-Rumayyan said, ‘Alright Jon, what’s it gonna take?’

32. What do we reckon Rory is going to serve at the Champions Dinner next year?

33. Scratch that. We already know. Dominos pizza.

34. Nick Faldo has more major wins. Seve has as many. But this tournament has sealed it: Rory McIlroy is the greatest European golfer of all time.

35. I bet golf gets a little more than ten seconds on BBC Sports Personality of the Year this year. I mean, you’d like to think so, right?

36. What a week. What a sport.

37. What a champion.

Michael McEwan is bunkered's Head of Content and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Head of Content