McIlroy Wins Irish Open After Dramatic Play-Off

McIlroy Wins Irish Open in Dramatic Third-Hole Play-Off

Rory McIlroy delivered a stunning eagle on the final hole of regulation play and held his nerve through a gripping sudden-death play-off to win the 2025 Irish Open at the K Club in County Kildare.

The world number two edged out Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren on the third play-off hole, capturing his second Irish Open title and fourth tournament win of the season — just weeks before leading Europe at the Ryder Cup.

McIlroy’s Clutch Eagle Sparks Comeback

Trailing overnight leader Adrien Saddier by four shots, McIlroy’s final round got off to a shaky start with a bogey at the first. But he bounced back with three birdies in four holes, adding more on the 9th and 13th before producing a moment of magic on the 72nd hole.

Facing a must-make putt to match Lagergren’s clubhouse lead of -17, McIlroy drained a 25-foot eagle to force a play-off, triggering huge roars from the home crowd.

“I hit it, and I wanted to just be aggressive with it,” McIlroy said.

“It was such a cool moment… that gave me a chance in the play-off.”

Sudden-Death Brilliance

In the play-off, both McIlroy and Lagergren birdied the first two holes, keeping fans on edge. But on the third extra hole, Lagergren found the water, and McIlroy calmly seized his opportunity to secure victory.

“This has exceeded all of my expectations,” McIlroy told Sky Sports.

“I’m just so, so happy I could play the way I did this week and get the win.”

The win also marks McIlroy’s third play-off success this year, following similar triumphs at The Masters and The Players Championship.

Final Leaderboard Highlights

• -17 Rory McIlroy (NI)* 🏆

• -17 Joakim Lagergren (SWE)

• -15 Ángel Hidalgo (SPA), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (SPA)

• -13 Álvaro Ayora (SPA), Adrien Saddier (FRA)

• -7 Shane Lowry (IRE)

• -6 Tom McKibbin (NI)

• -2 Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)

Ryder Cup & BMW PGA Next

McIlroy’s timely return to form comes just before next week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, followed by his focus turning fully to the Ryder Cup, where Team Europe will look to retain the trophy against the United States at Bethpage Black in New York.

“2025 is going to go down as one of the best, if not the best, of my career,” McIlroy said.

“But we’re not finished yet.”