How Carlos Alcaraz aided Rory McIlroy on final day of Masters triumph

became just the sixth man to secure the career Grand Slam in golf on Sunday, finally clinching his maiden Masters title. And he took some inspiration from Carlos Alcaraz before

Going into the final day of the Masters, the Northern Irishman revealed that he distracted himself by watching Alcaraz - the perfect omen before McIlroy finally got to wear the famous green jacket.

McIlroy was 12 under par coming into the final day of the Masters, primed to end his 11-year wait for a major title. But the 35-year-old didn't want to get too carried away before arriving at Augusta National.

Keen to keep himself in a "cocoon", McIlroy turned to other sports to take his mind off the Masters on Sunday morning and revealed that he followed Alcaraz's triumph in Monaco before sealing his own victory.

"Fortunately Sunday mornings are good for sports, so I watched Carlos Alcaraz win tennis in Monte-Carlo," he told CBS.

"I wanted a little bit of soccer, watched a little bit of F1. So just sort of tried to keep myself distracted with other sports, I guess. Once you get to the golf course, I think things sort of settle down."

Over in Monaco, Alcaraz came from a set down to beat 3-6 6-1 6-0 in the championship match, picking up his sixth Masters 1000 title and his first in more than a year.

Until last week, the Spaniard had never won a match at the Monte-Carlo Masters. He lost to Sebastian Korda on his debut in 2022 and has been injured for the last two years.

But he went five in a row in 2025, ending the week as the newly-crowned champion. Afterwards, Alcaraz told the crowd: "This tournament, I haven't played so much.

"This is my second time that I played the tournament. I came with no win here and I just felt great this week. You made me feel great every time I stepped on the court, in every practice."

Now back up to No. 2 in the world, Alcaraz returned the favour by watching McIlroy finally end his agonising wait to win the Masters.

McIlroy missed a putt to clinch victory on the 18th hole, going into a playoff with Rose. But he avoided more heartbreak, getting the job done with a birdie.

Alcaraz took to social media to congratulate the Ulsterman, sharing a video of his winning putt. "Congrats @rorymcilroy! LEGEND!" he wrote on Instagram.