Straffan, Ireland – In a dramatic finish that sent the home crowd into ecstasy, Rory McIlroy holed a stunning 28-foot eagle putt on the 72nd hole to force a playoff and then outlasted Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren on the third extra hole to win the 2025 Amgen Irish Open at The K Club on Sunday.
The victory marks McIlroy’s second title at the event – both claimed at this historic venue – and his first win since completing the career Grand Slam with a Masters triumph in April, capping a flawless homecoming for the Northern Irish superstar.
McIlroy, who started the final round four shots behind overnight leader Adrien Saddier, fired a flawless 6-under 66 to finish regulation at 17-under par, tying Lagergren’s score after the Swede’s own birdie on 18. The playoff, played on the par-5 18th hole, saw both players match birdies on the first two attempts, but Lagergren’s aggressive approach on the third attempt from the fairway bounded into the water hazard, handing McIlroy the edge. From deep rough off the tee, McIlroy laid up safely to the green’s fringe before two-putting for birdie, while Lagergren’s penalty drop and subsequent chip failed to save the hole.
“I just feel so lucky that I get to do this in front of these people,” McIlroy said post-victory, his voice thick with emotion as fans chanted his name around the 18th green.
“The support has been absolutely incredible all week – it exceeded all my expectations. To come home and win my national open after what I did earlier this year? No matter what happens the rest of the season, 2025 is going down as one of the best, if not the best, of my career.”
The 36-year-old’s eagle on the final hole of regulation was the shot that ignited the frenzy. Trailing by two after Lagergren’s eagle at the par-5 16th and birdie on 18, McIlroy reached the green in two and poured in the downhill slider from 28 feet, redeeming a missed putt from similar range that cost him a playoff spot last year.
“It felt like redemption,” McIlroy added. “The roar when that went in – moments like this, you’ll remember long after your career is over.”
Lagergren, ranked No. 194 in the world and seeking just his second DP World Tour win since 2018, was stoic in defeat.
“It just felt like it was who was going to blink first,” he said. “I hit a poor second shot on that playoff hole, and that opened the door for him. But what a battle – Rory’s the best, and the crowd was something else.”
McIlroy’s path to contention was a masterclass in resilience. After a bogey on the first hole dropped him to 11-under, he reeled off birdies on three of the next four, including long putts on the second and fifth, to surge into a share of the lead. A birdie at the ninth put him at 14-under in a four-way tie, and he briefly took the outright lead with another at the 13th. Fellow European Ryder Cup teammates like Shane Lowry (T7 at 7-under) and Tyrrell Hatton (T20 at 2-under) watched from afar as McIlroy delivered, but it was Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello’s hole-in-one at the par-3 third that briefly lit up the leaderboard. Angel Hidalgo and Cabrera Bello finished tied for third at 15-under, two shots shy of the playoff.
This marks McIlroy’s fourth win of a dream 2025 season, following victories at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, The Players Championship, and the Masters. The $1.12 million first-place prize adds to his haul, but for McIlroy, the emotional weight of lifting the Irish Open trophy – donated to charity after his 2016 win here – in front of a sold-out, adoring gallery was priceless.
“There’s probably very few golfers who get the support I get when I go home,” he reflected. “I feel very grateful and lucky.”
With the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black looming in three weeks, McIlroy’s form signals danger for the Americans. “I’m excited for what’s coming up,” he said. “My game’s in good shape – we’ve got Wentworth next, then the big one.” As he celebrated with caddie Harry Diamond and family under the Irish sun, one thing was clear: Rory McIlroy is back, and home is where his heart – and his latest trophy – beats strongest.
