I'm so proud to be able to call myself a Masters champion: McIlroy

Rory Mcllroy completed golf’s career Grand Slam with a tearful Masters victory on Sunday, sinking a tense four-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a sudden death playoff to defeat Justin Rose.

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World number two Mcllroy snapped an 11-year major win drought despite squandering the solo lead three times in the final round, weeping as he finally captured the green jacket that so long eluded him.

"It feels incredible," Mcllroy said. "This is my 17th time here. I was wondering if it would ever be my time. I’m thrilled and so proud to be able to call myself a Masters champion." Mcllroy joined Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan as the only players to win all four majors. "The last 10 years coming here with the burden of the Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that, I’m sort of wondering what we're all going to talk about going into next year’s Masters," Mcllroy said.

Needing a par on the 72nd hole to win, Mcllroy plunked his approach at the par-4 18th into a greenside bunker, blasted out to five feet but then missed a tension-packed par putt, the ball going left of the hole as the crowd groaned.

"My battle today was with myself," Mcllroy said. "How I responded to setbacks, that’s what Tl take from this week.”

That set up the playoff at the 18th, which Rose had birdied from 20 feet in regulation.