The final round at Augusta National Golf Club saw an unbelievable amount of drama unfold.

Rory McIlroy defeated Justin Rose in a playoff to win his first Green Jacket at the Masters. He also became just the sixth player to ever complete a career grand slam.

Rory McIlroy wins Masters playoff to complete the career Grand Slam | AP News

It was not just a win for McIlroy, though. CBS saw viewership numbers skyrocket on Sunday at the Masters.

On Monday, CBS Sports posted some figures that make it the most-watched final round since 2018. That shockingly surpasses Tiger Woods’ triumph in 2019, when he won his fifth Green Jacket.

The final round highest-rated golf telecast in seven years, averaging 12.707 million viewers. That is a 33% increase from 2024. Additionally, the telecast peaked at more than 19 million viewers. To no one’s surprise, those numbers occurred from 7:00 to 7:15 pm ET, which is when the tournament came to its conclusion.

Even the streaming numbers for Paramount+ were up, tripling their Masters growth from last year.

2025 Masters Drama Like No Other

The drama that played out was nearly a tragedy.

McIlroy entered the final round looking to snap an 11-year winless drought in majors. He held a two-shot lead as the day began. Within the first hour, he had already carded a double bogey and a bogey, allowing Bryson DeChambeau to surpass him.

The reigning U.S. Open champion faltered as the day progressed, however. That opened the door for McIlroy take build another lead. But just as the round opened, the Northern Irishman hit some atrocious golf shots to blow a four-shot lead on the back nine.

The entire golf world was left wondering whether McIlroy would choke the tournament away similar to last year’s U.S. Open.

He then hit unbelievable shots on 15 and 17 to regain the lead, only to then miss a four-foot par putt on 18 to fall into the playoff with Rose.

But as he did all afternoon, McIlroy showed incredible resiliency. He hit a perfect approach shot to two feet on the first playoff hole. After Rose missed a 10-footer for birdie, Rory calmly knocked in the winning putt.

He immediately fell to his knees, letting the tears flow as he walked off the course. He became the first European player to win the grand slam, and joined Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods as the only players to ever do it.