ESPN analyst Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo appeared to suggest CBS and its coverage of the final day of the Masters was responsible for Rory McIlroy’s rollercoaster of a round.
The Northern Irishman, 35, finally broke his Masters duck Sunday as he defeated Justin Rose in sudden death playoff to claim his first Green Jacket and seal the career Grand Slam.
But McIlroy didn’t make it easy for himself, threatening to let the major slip through his fingers once again, putting a five-shot lead with eight holes to play at risk in a dramatic final round at Augusta National.
And Russo appeared to suggest that CBS and Jim Nantz’s commentary was in part to blame by ‘jinxing’ the golf star multiple times throughout a tense 18 holes.
‘They [CBS] went on and on and on much too premature,’ the sports analyst claimed on First Take earlier this week.
‘They think it’s over and then you see the shot on 13. Then on 18, they’re talking about a Green Jacket and what does he do with his second shot? He’s up by a stroke and he hits it in the bunker. Then he gets out of the bunker and everybody thinks five-footer for immortality and he goes and misses the putt.
CBS and Jim Nantz have been accused of trying to ‘jinx’ Rory McIlroy at the Masters
McIlroy, pictured with daughter Poppy and wife Eric, claimed the Green Jacket on Sunday
‘They spent so much time in the last two hours jinxing him. They thought it was over on 12. They thought it was over on 15. They thought it was over on 16. They thought it was over on 17. And what happens?
‘You can’t do that with McIlroy! He’s not Jack [Nicklaus], he’s not Tiger [Woods]. When you gave them a three-shot lead, they were never blowing it! Rory’s up and down, that’s why he’s so much fun! I had so many fans rooting for Rory who said, “Jeez, they’re jinxing him. Shut up!” And you know what? They’re right!’
There were many chances to wrap up his quest for an elusive first Masters title that McIlroy failed to seize.
It had appeared over before it had even had chance to begin when McIlroy opened with a double bogey, sacrificing his two-shot lead over playing partner Bryson DeChambeau.
McIlroy’s fourth birdie of the day on the 10th had given him a five-shot lead, but he inexplicably pitched into Rae’s Creek on the 13th to run up a second double bogey of the day and also dropped a shot on the 14th.
After a birdie on the 17th had seen him regain the lead, he blew it once again by missing a putt for par – and the win.
With Englishman Rose already in the clubhouse at 11 under, McIlroy had to settle for bogey on the final hole of regulation to send the first major of the year to sudden death.
Following his victory, McIlroy sat down for an interview with CBS reporter – and rumored – ex-flame – Amanda Balionis.
The Northern Irishman finally won a Masters title by defeating Justin Rose in a playoff
Chris Russo appeared to suggest the coverage was responsible for the rollercoaster round
But when asked by Balionis about the support system that helped him win the 2025 Masters, McIlroy mentioned his friend and caddy, Harry Diamond, and his daughter, while wife Erica’s name was noticeably absent.
‘I have had an incredible support system the whole way throughout my life as an only child, the support that I had from my parents, they saw some potential in me as a golfer, and they give me every opportunity to try to fulfill that potential,’ McIlroy told Balionis.
‘To have Poppy there and to see… you know, I want to make her proud,’ he continued. ‘I want her to be able to experience these things.
‘I said on the on the green, while I was doing the trophy presentation, I hadn’t given up for 17 years. And I think that’s a really good lesson for any young boy or girl that was watching that: Never give up on your dreams and to keep fighting for it. And if you do the work, and you put in the effort, that you can achieve anything, and hopefully, Poppy saw that today.’
