Rory McIlroy wins the Masters to complete career Grand Slam

Rory McIlroy beat Justin Rose in a play-off to win the Masters Tournament and join golf's most exclusive club by completing the career Grand Slam.

The Northern Irishman captured his fifth Major title at Augusta National after a thrilling final round which saw four different players find themselves in at least a share of the lead.

The result was cruel on 44-year-old Rose, who started the day seven shots back but produced ten birdies in a sublime 66 only to finish as runner-up for the third time at The Masters after his par on the second trip down the last was bettered by a moment of brilliance from McIlroy.

Rose - who denied Phil Mickelson the Grand Slam when he won the U.S. Open at Merion in 2013 - sent a brilliant approach ten feet past the flag at the 18th but his Ryder Cup team-mate, having hit a monster drive down the middle of the 18th fairway for the second time in 20 minutes, spun his approach back to three feet and made amends for a missed five-footer that led to extra holes moments earlier.

Victory makes the World Number Two only the sixth man to win all four Majors and the first since Tiger Woods in 2000, joining an elite club also containing Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus.

It was McIlroy's 11th attempt to write his name in golfing immortality, having ticked off the other three between 2011 and 2014.

“It feels incredible,” said McIlroy. “This is my 17th time here and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time.

“I think the last 10 times, coming here with the burden of the Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that – I sort of wonder what we're going to talk about going into next year's Masters!

“I'm absolutely honoured and thrilled and just so proud to be able to call myself the Masters champion.

“When I hit the wedge shot into the creek on 13 – I feel like I did a really good job of bouncing back from that – and the double-bogey at the first as well.

“There was a lot of pent-up emotion that just came up on that 18^th green but a moment like that makes all the years and all the close calls worth it.

“I want to say hello to my mum and dad back home in Northern Ireland. I can't wait to celebrate this with them.”

The day started as a head-to-head between McIlroy and American Bryson DeChambeau, the foe who had ensured his Major drought stretched into an 11th year by beating him at Pinehurst in last year's U.S. Open.

McIlroy, who went into the final round two shots clear, made the worst possible start as a wayward drive at the first was followed by a three-putt for a double-bogey six.

The 35-year-old found sand off the tee on the second and could only manage a par as DeChambeau birdied the par five to take lead.

However, there were further two-shot swings on the third and fourth and both went in McIlroy's favour.

He birdied the third from ten feet, then saw his playing partner miss a par putt on the same line from seven feet.

DeChambeau then bogeyed the short fourth after missing the green as McIlroy birdied after an outstanding tee shot to nine feet.

McIlroy looked set to pull further clear when he produced a remarkable approach from among the trees down the left of the seventh to eight feet and DeChambeau found the front bunker.

However, McIlroy left his birdie putt a fraction short and DeChambeau produced a superb shot from the sand to save par.

First-round leader Rose birdied the 11th from 58 feet moments after berating himself for bailing out short and right with his second, then birdied the 12th after a fine tee shot to 17 feet to move level with DeChambeau on nine under.

Ludvig Åberg soon made it a three-way tie for second with his third birdie of the day on the tenth.

However, the trio found themselves four behind as McIlroy took advantage of a huge drive at the ninth to complete an outward 35.

Rose birdied the long 13th to take outright second but McIlroy swiftly restored his four-shot advantage by converting from 15 feet at the tenth.

Åberg found a bunker on the 12th and Rose's drive finished stuck behind a tree on the 14th, with the Green Jacket seemingly at McIlroy's mercy at that stage.

DeChambeau found water with his approach to the 11th and double bogeyed as his challenge faded around Amen Corner but McIlroy failed to take advantage of a huge slice of luck as his second stopped inches short of the same fate only to then fail to get up and down.

Rose responded to his bogey with a birdie at the 15th to close within three.

McIlroy's serene progress was abruptly halted as he hit a pitch into Rae's Creek from inside 100 yards at the 13th and double bogeyed, with Rose birdieing the 16th from five feet to suddenly join him in share of lead.

McIlroy briefly relinquished his share of the lead with a bogey on the 14th after leaking his drive right but Rose failed to get up and down at the 17th, with Åberg suddenly finding himself in a three-way tie for the lead after birdieing the 15th.

McIlroy looked blocked out down the left off the tee at the par-five 15th but hooked a magnificent approach a fraction over the drink, with the ball feeding round to eight feet.

A tame eagle putt left the World Number Two with a tap-in birdie to retake the lead.

The drama was far from done. Rose made his tenth birdie of the day as he holed a 20-footer on the last for a stunning round of 66.

McIlroy hit a superb tee shot to ten feet on the 16th but missed the birdie chance as Åberg three-putted the 17th before a triple-bogey at the last.

McIlroy almost holed his seven-iron approach to the penultimate hole before tapping in from two feet to take a one-shot lead up the last.

A perfect drive was followed by a leaked approach which found the right bunker but after splashing out to five feet, he missed the putt before making no mistake at the second time of asking as a closing 73 left him tied with Rose on 11 under.

Patrick Reed took third on nine under after a closing 69, with defending champion Scottie Scheffler a shot further back in fourth.