Rory McIlroy claimed his second title on the Irish Open with an exhilarating playoff victory in opposition to Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren.
The Northern Irishman wanted to produce a surprising eagle putt on the 72nd gap to take Lagergren, who had made an excellent eagle himself on the sixteenth, to a playoff.
After each gamers birdied the primary two extra holes, Lagergren put his strategy shot into the water to give McIlroy an opportunity for the victory. And to the roaring delight of the gang, the reigning Masters champion was in a position to make one other birdie and full the roller-coaster win.
“I feel just so lucky that I get to do this, I get to do this in front of these people,” McIlroy stated in his post-round interview.
“The support has been absolutely amazing all week. 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 expectations.”
The prime of the leaderboard was congested all through Sunday’s remaining spherical on the Okay Club in Straffan, however it was McIlroy and Lagergren who emerged on the prime of the pile on 17-under after each capturing 66.
McIlroy had 5 birdies and that sensational eagle on the final, whereas Lagergren had 4 birdies to go together with his eagle on the sixteenth, which noticed him retake the match lead.
The Spanish duo of Ángel Hidalgo and Rafa Cabrera Bello, who made a hole-in-one on the third, each completed two pictures again on 15-under.
For McIlroy, the victory comes 9 years after his first Irish Open title and provides one other piece of silverware to his memorable season, 5 months after he accomplished a profession grand slam on the Masters.
It additionally provides the world No. 2 a lift forward of the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York later this month, the place McIlroy will probably be wanting to retain the title with his European teammates.
“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,” he stated. “2025’s going to go down as among the best, if not one of the best, in my profession.
“I’m just so happy my game’s in good shape, I feel like I’m playing well,” he added. “That excites me for what’s coming up.”