Rory McIlroy drained a dramatic 30-foot eagle putt on his final hole to force a playoff, then outlasted Joakim Lagergren on the third extra hole to win the Amgen Irish Open at The K Club. The victory sent the partisan home crowd into absolute delirium.
Lagergren posted a 66 with an eagle at the par-5 16th and a closing birdie at the par-5 18th to set the clubhouse target at 17 under. McIlroy, also shooting 66, needed an eagle on the final hole to tie. When his long putt disappeared into the cup, the roar from the Irish faithful was deafening.
The playoff unfolded entirely on the 542-yard 18th hole. Both players managed two-putt birdies on their first two attempts. On the third go-round, McIlroy’s drive found the right rough while Lagergren split the fairway. The Swede, playing first, overcooked his approach, sending his ball splashing into the water guarding the left side of the green.
McIlroy, seizing his opportunity, safely found the putting surface with his second shot. After Lagergren took his penalty drop, McIlroy easily two-putted from 35 feet. When Lagergren failed to chip in for a tying birdie, the trophy belonged to McIlroy.
“I feel just so lucky that I get to do this, I get to do this in front of these people,” McIlroy said. “The support has been absolutely amazing all week.”
It’s McIlroy’s second Irish Open title, having also won at The K Club in 2016. The victory caps what’s been an incredible 2025 season for the 36-year-old, who’s already claimed a PGA Tour signature event at Pebble Beach and The Players Championship. Most significantly, his triumph at Augusta National in April finally completed the career Grand Slam.
“I thought it was going to be a nice homecoming, obviously coming home with a green jacket and all that, but this has been absolutely incredible. This has exceeded all of my expectations,” he said. “Just so, so happy I could play the way I did this week for all of them and get the win.”
“To do what I did earlier in the year and then to come home and win my national open, no matter what happens for the rest of the year, that’s a pretty cool year. 2025 is going to go down as one of the best, if not the best of my career.”
McIlroy will tee it up next week at the BMW PGA Championship, the DP World Tour’s flagship event at Wentworth Club in Surrey, England. After that, he’ll join his Ryder Cup teammates as they head to Bethpage to prepare for their cup defense.
