AUGUSTA, Ga. — A concoction of sweaty bodies and long-lens cameras was deadlocked in the upper left-hand corner of the No. 15 grandstand at Augusta National as Rory McIlroy’s 7-foot eagle putt slid underneath the cup. At that point in the day, the phoneless Masters Tournament patrons were not unfamiliar with the sound of thousands of simultaneous groans. Hearing and participating in them repeatedly, however, was not getting any easier.

A Green Jacket stood up out of his plastic bleacher seat in a frenzy.

“I can’t take much more of this,” the gentleman uttered. He bee-lined toward the steep downward staircase, his sons close behind, fumbling to button the coat that only a select group can sport on this property.

Until it actually happened, McIlroy’s chase of the career Grand Slam and the end to his 11-year major championship drought felt more like if you took the most nauseating roller coaster on earth and increased its speed tenfold. Or stuck yourself in a blender and turned it to the highest setting, making the table shake.

An opening double bogey, a water ball into Rae’s Creek with a wedge in hand, the first sudden-death playoff in the Masters since 2017 — McIlroy gave Augusta National the show it didn’t know it wanted. The patrons on site still aren’t sure that’s what they would have signed up for. Sunday was a ticketed heart attack.

“My battle today was with myself. It wasn’t with anyone else,” McIlroy said Sunday evening, a 38 Regular green jacket slung over his shoulders. “You know, at the end there, it was with Justin (Rose), but my battle today was with my mind and staying in the present.

“I’d like to say that I did a better job of it than I did. It was a struggle, but I got it over the line.”

It might have been an internal waging of the wars for McIlroy, but all of Augusta National felt it with him. They leaned with the wayward drives, hustled to catch a glimpse of the gravity-defying escape routes, and hoped — oh, did they hope — every time the putter face made contact with the golf ball it would find a hole. Just this one, Rory.

Rotation by rotation, they held their breath.

Then, a final roar that could only mean one thing: sweet, sweet relief.

In his 1975 Masters file for Sports Illustrated, the great Dan Jenkins wrote: “There is an old saying that the real Masters doesn’t begin until the back nine on Sunday.” That was 50 Masters ago. It’s still true.

This back nine of the 89th Masters began with a semblance of something that you can never trust at the place: comfort. It is almost always a mirage.

No. 10 crushed McIlroy’s Masters dreams 14 years ago as a naive 21-year-old. Sunday morning, McIlroy opened his locker to a note from Angel Cabrera, the 2009 champion who played with McIlroy that day.

The drive on No. 10 was demonless. The ensuing birdie putt to take a four-shot lead? Electrifying. Patrons surrounded the 10th green and 11th fairway 30 deep, peering through tree branches and shuffling around aimlessly to find a gap where they could see something. Anything. Amen Corner lurked. Lest they all knew, the rug was about to be ripped out from underneath the Northern Irishman.

It all happened in a blur. A bogey on No. 11 — a number that could have been a lot bigger. A par at No. 12. A 3-wood off the tee at No. 13, McIlroy playing it safe with a four-shot lead.

There’s no tighter part of the property for patrons than Amen Corner, tens of thousands pressed together to watch as McIlroy’s ball flew through the air once, then twice. He stood with a wedge in his hands from 82 yards. If he was going to screw this all up, it wasn’t going to be here, with all of Georgia to the left side of the green. Right?

McIlroy’s ball tumbled into the creek. He bent his spine in half and threw his hands onto his knees. There had been plenty of triumphant patron responses at that point in the day. Here, in Amen Corner’s final chapter, the gasps returned. They did not stop.

First, McIlroy’s red 13 came off the nearby manual leaderboard and was replaced by a somber 11. He paused, waiting an additional moment before heading over the 14th tee, almost as if he knew it was coming. Rose suddenly had his 10 switched out for an 11.

Tie score.

No Masters champion has ever won the green jacket with four double bogeys. Is that the kind of history McIlroy was going to make?

Every time it looked as though McIlroy had thrown away the golf tournament for good, he followed it with a shot, a moment, even a bounce in his step that added up to the opposite. He looked like he was in cruise control until the emergency brakes hit. The patrons’ fists in the air were coupled with sunburned faces buried in hands. More new red numbers caused a stir. McIlroy threw another dart. Birdie-par-birdie. Triumph? No. Closing bogey. There it was. All of it would come down to this. A sudden-death playoff against his Ryder Cup teammate, Rose.

Harry Diamond, McIlroy’s caddie and best friend since age 7, looked at his player as they headed to the golf cart that would bring the pair back to the 18th tee box once again.

“Well, pal, we would have taken this on Monday morning,” he said.

The jostled Augusta National audience did not agree. The anguish was becoming unbearable, borderline exhausting, but also the best Masters of the modern era. Either way, it needed to end. McIlroy needed to put himself — and everyone else — out of their misery.

Walk through the white and gold doors of the Augusta National clubhouse, up a winding staircase and through a quaint but decadent dining room, and you’ll find yourself on a porch. It overlooks the giant oak tree, the iconic rows of green and white umbrellas, and in the distance, if you crane your neck just enough, No. 18 green.

But today that view was clouded by a sea of anxious bodies. On the ground, some proposed starting a game of “telephone” to communicate the play-by-play on the green.

Up on the porch, you can rotate 180 degrees and you’re facing a row of white window panes. They lead to a 35-inch television, the only piece of modern technology in a 100-yard radius. A strange combination of Green Jacket wearers, off-duty broadcasters and confused writers gathered around to watch the playoff. Patrick Reed dipped in to order an Azalea cocktail. The incoming USGA president showed up. Everyone was too nervous to utter a word. No one did.

A sound of this force cannot be tape-delayed.  All of Augusta National felt McIlroy’s energy release after that 4-foot birdie putt dropped. And by the look of him — collapsing onto his knees and convulsing with sobs — he felt it, too.

One of the most chaotic final rounds of recent memory ended with pure emotion, a release appropriate for the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam, and McIlroy shut down a narrative he wondered whether he’d ever escape.

“It was all relief. There wasn’t much joy in that reaction. It was all relief,” McIlroy said after the round, laughing. “And then, you know, the joy came pretty soon after that. But that was — I’ve been coming here 17 years, and it was a decade-plus of emotion that came out of me there.”

We know, Rory. We know.

(Top photo: Harry How / Getty Images)

Follow live coverage of the final round of the 2025 Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Masters will never be cheugy.

It may be a crime of fashion to be overdone, outdated or, gasp, dressed in millenial-core for 51 weeks a year. But for this week, at Augusta National Golf Club during the Masters, the patrons come dressed for the scene they find when they step on property, and there’s something about the place that makes it all work.

The open space between the clubhouse, the first tee and the practice green at Augusta National is like the Shibuya Crossing of golf. Spectators shuffle in every which direction, creating a dizzying blur of rye green, seersucker and straw hats. The Green Jackets gather under the canopy of the legendary oak tree, schmoozing with VIP guests, while groups of done-up women meander about, greeting each other and dishing out compliments on floral dresses from the latest spring collections: “Oh I love that! Where’s it from?” Meanwhile, the golf bros walk with purpose to find their next vantage point, as spikeless golf shoes and big box brand dry-fit polos do exactly what they are supposed to do: perform.

From the old to the young, to the PGA Tour superfan and the clueless significant other, the patrons at Augusta National all have one thing in common when it comes to their varying fashion choices: They’re trying to say something.

The spectators at the Masters take full advantage of the opportunity to be, well, extra.

For the men, this effort manifests in a competition as old as time. The Country Club Logo Olympics begin at 7:00 a.m. Monday, when the patron gates open for the week’s first practice round. At the Masters, the idea of “quiet luxury” is not just a Hermés bag or a pair of Chanel ballet flats, but also needlepoint whales and acorns stitched onto canvas golf hats.

It’s impossible for a few not to catch your eye: Pine Valley on a navy polo, Seminole Golf Club on a cashmere pullover. Spot the ultra-private Ohoopee Match Club onion? Or the lesser-known but mighty crest for one of Scotland’s finest, North Berwick Golf Club? It might spark a conversation. That’s exactly what they want.

“You see these logos and you’re like, he definitely knows a member. But you’re not sure if he is a member. But if he is a member, I need him to be my friend,” says Stephen Malbon, founder of Malbon Golf, a lifestyle brand that has partnered with PGA Tour pro Jason Day to stretch player fashion past slim-fit golf pants and shades of blue.

That’s the least of it. Turn to the left or right anywhere on property and it won’t take long to find the GOAT: The Augusta National Golf Club logo. It is not to be confused with the Masters logo. These are very different things.

There’s already an exclusivity to the idea of purchasing Masters merchandise because it is only sold on site. When you get there, there are about 19 other elevations beyond what you can take home from the massive merchandise building, which contains 64 check out registers and 385 mannequins and sells everything from $400 cashmere hoodies to scented candles and gnomes. Now Augusta National has Berckmans Place and Map & Flag, two brand new and hot-ticketed hospitality venues that also sell their own apparel. The holy grail is, of course, the club’s intimate pro shop. That’s the only place one can purchase an item that is simply adorned with the coveted “ANGC.” Yes, those four letters make the difference.

“There are people flexing their Berckmans merch. And that’s different from the main merch. And the pro shop merch is different from that merch,” says Malbon. “There’s levels to it. People are showing their social or economic status by wearing this stuff.”

For the women of Augusta National, there’s an understanding that you dress for the female gaze. Admit it or don’t, you’re scrolling Pinterest and TikTok in the months leading up the tournament to find outfit inspiration for your Masters outfit, which, if you’re attending Thursday-Sunday, will not be seen on an Instagram feed (unless you film an “outfit check” in the parking lot.) Cell phones are prohibited from the Augusta National grounds and cameras are only allowed on practice round days. You dress to impress, though, even if the internet may not see it.

“The key to fashion at the Masters is not necessarily clothes that you’d wear to play golf. Those outfits are great for other golf tournaments. For me, the Masters is more like the Kentucky Derby of golf, minus the hat and definitely minus the heels,” says Golf Channel’s Kira K. Dixon. “If you wear a hat, it should just be a really good wide-brim hat because sun protection is key.”

“Wear something really cute that you wouldn’t normally wear, blow it out of the water. Wear the wide leg pants, wear the fun blazer, wear the fun print. This is Augusta National. Do it.”

A pop of green is the first aesthetic necessity for women at the Masters, but there are always ways to go above and beyond.

Annie Shoulders and Kylie Shemanksi stood on the ropeline of the fifth fairway at Augusta National, waiting for Jordan Spieth’s Thursday pairing to find the short grass. Shemanski’s name was stitched onto the back of her white sweater in green letters in the style of the traditional Masters caddie bibs — a creative touch. But then Shoulders turned around for the grand reveal.

She had painted her square-shaped crossbody purse by hand to look like a pimento cheese sandwich.

“I knew I was going to do this for about a month,” said Shoulders, an engineer from Little Rock, Ark., attending her second Masters. “I also made sweaters for (Shemanski’s) daughters.”

(Michael Madrid / USA Today Sports)

There’s a decadence to the women at Augusta National. Round, flat-brim straw hats and monochrome matching sets have been two popular trends in 2025. Color combinations of Masters green — also known as Pantone 342 — and Butter Yellow, the season’s hottest spring shade, have been plentiful. Adidas Sambas are the tournament’s most popular shoe, with New Balance 327s coming in as a close second. Dixon, who has received hundreds of direct messages from Masters ticket-holders asking for outfit advice, coined a term to describe the style: “Augustacore.”

The local boutiques in Augusta make it their mission to capitalize on Masters week. The Swank Company prepares inventory with the proper color schemes and accessories for patrons in need of a last-minute shopping trip. The Peppy Poppy says that Masters season is their second-most profitable time of the year, behind only Christmas.

“Masters style is always going to be the same: Something green and something stylish and comfortable to walk around in,” says Dawne Byrd, owner of the Peppy Poppy.

The fashion circus at the Masters feels like it could get old really fast, but somehow, it just never does. There’s a sense of, if you’re at Augusta National, why wouldn’t you go all out?

“When I told my sister that we were going to the Masters, her first question was ‘What are we going to wear?” says Kiara Dowdell, who was wearing a matching cardigan with her sister, Alexis Vega.

(Peter Casey / USA Today)

The players and their sponsors participate in the frenzy too, with pre-planned weekly scripting and outfit choices that they wouldn’t make at any other golf tournament. For example: Cam Smith wore a four-way stretch blazer during Wednesday’s practice round. It was the result of a drunken conversation with the man who makes said blazer.

The tournament participants are focused on the task at hand, but they’re also aware of what’s going on around them.

“When you’re walking the golf course, everyone looks like they’re having a good time. Everyone is dressed up really nice,” Day, who is known for pushing the boundaries with his on-course attire, says. “It’s kind of like a horse racing event when everyone comes out and they’re wearing some really nice clothes. They just do it right here at Augusta.”

The Masters is not just a golf tournament. It is different. So naturally, the patrons, in all sorts of ridiculous ways, are going to treat it like a one-of-a-kind opportunity. And that allure will never go out of style.

(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos: Andrew Redington, Richard Heathcote / Getty Images; Rob Schumacher, Kyle Terada / USA Today Sports)

With each passing decade, elite athletes seem to become faster, stronger and, dare we say it, better. Performance improves and, consequently, records tumble.

But some records seem otherworldly. No matter what future technological or scientific advancements may be made, they feel out of reach and unbreakable. Although that is what many thought of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL’s goals record, and then came along Alexander Ovechkin.

For 31 years, Gretzky reigned as the all-time goalscorer in the NHL with 894 goals. That was before 39-year-old Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals overtook that landmark on April 7. Gretzky still holds a few records widely regarded as untouchable — his ridiculous 1,963 career assists, for instance.

All of this has led us to consider some other records in sport that are thought of as unlikely to be broken. Could they, too, one day be beaten, or are there some records that will forever remain in the history books?

Soccer

Furthest goal: 96.01 meters (104.9 yards)

Whether intentional or not, in January 2021, Newport County goalkeeper Tom King — with the benefit of a bounce and wind assistance — scored from a goal kick.

It set the world record after topping former Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic’s 91.9-meter goal (100.5 yards) in November 2013. It would take a lot of chutzpah (and help from the elements) to beat King’s long-distance strike.

Shortest time between two goals: Nine seconds

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. It takes no time at all to rattle off those numbers. Incredible, then, that it took just nine seconds for Wycombe Wanderers to score twice against Peterborough United in September 2000.

The first came from a free kick, and the second, following the half-time interval, was a superb solo effort by Jermaine McSporran, who scored from kick-off. Peterborough United didn’t touch the ball from one goal to the other, which were nine seconds apart in game time – setting a new world record.

Highest scoreline: 149-0

Reigning champions of the Madagascan first-tier Stade Olympique de l’Emyrne (SOE) came to their game against bitter rivals AS Adema salty in November 2002.

In their previous game, SOE felt a penalty decision had gone against them, denying them the opportunity to retain their title as the necessary win was not secured. To compound matters, AS Adema were crowned champions.

In retaliation, SOE threw the next game against Adema as a planned protest against the refereeing they felt had denied them the title. After winning the ball, they proceeded to score 149 own goals at a rate of one every 36 seconds, the sort of drama reality television would be proud of.

Olympics

Gold medals: 23

Michael Phelps might injure his neck if he wore all 23 of his Olympic gold medals. Six athletes have nine gold medals, including active American swimmers Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel, but they still don’t come close to Phelps, who won eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics alone.

It helps that swimmers can compete across different disciplines and at varying distances, but no swimmer in history has come close to having the breadth of Phelps in the pool, both in terms of the events in which he excelled and the period of time he was at his peak — dominating at four Games in multiple disciplines.

As brilliant a swimmer Ledecky is, she excels only in long-distance freestyle. Similarly, Dressel is a sprint specialist. Frenchman Leon Marchand, 22, who won four golds in Paris last year, has time on his side and the talent. But even with 50m sprint swimming events added to the Olympics schedule in Los Angeles, for any athlete to get close to Phelps’ record would be a phenomenal achievement.

Women’s 100 metre record: 10.49 seconds

Florence Griffith Joyner, known as ‘Flo-Jo, ’ had experienced glory in the 200m, winning Olympic silver in 1984 and silver again at the 1987 World Championships. But it was in 1988 that she became a global star, breaking the 100m world record and smashing her personal best at the U.S. Olympic trials.

There was controversy over the wind speed, which on the track read 0.0 but on nearby triple jump equipment was recorded at 4.3 miles per second, but the record stood and no one has come close to the Californian’s time, her world records in the 100m and 200m (21.34) still standing to this day.

Elaine Thompson-Herah is the athlete to have come closest to the 100m world record, the Jamaican clocking 10.54 in 2021.

Tennis

Steffi Graff, right, with her gold medal at the 1988 Olympics, which she won beating Argentina’s Gabriela Sabatini in the final (Chris Wilkins/AFP via Getty Images)

The Calendar Golden Grand Slam

In 1988, Steffi Graf, then aged 19, had the best year possible in tennis. The German achieved the Calendar Golden Grand Slam, winning all four major tournaments — the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open — and Olympic gold in the same year.

She is the only singles player to have achieved this feat, and her record is made even tougher to beat given that the Olympics are held every four years.

NBA & NFL

Most points in a game: 100 points

One of the most iconic photos in NBA history is a black-and-white shot of Wilt Chamberlain posing with a piece of paper with 100 scribbled on it after his historic night in March 1962.

There is no TV footage of Chamberlain’s 100-point game for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks as many games NBA games weren’t televised then. In recent years, some have questioned whether it happened at all, which The Athletic examined in this 2024 article.

Chamberlain set the record without a three-point line, something the NBA later introduced in the 1979-1980 season. He shot 36-for-63 from the field and 28-for-32 from the foul line. That year, he also averaged 50.4 points per game, helping to hugely increase the popularity of the NBA.

All-time scorer: 42,170+ points

LeBron James is in his 22nd NBA season. The 40-year-old has spent more than half of his life in the league — and his longevity means he has even played alongside his son, Bronny James.

Over those 22 seasons, he has been one of the league’s best players — a 21-time All-Star and scoring leader in 2008.

LeBron James is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer (Harry How/Getty Images)

His incredible durability and ability led him to become the NBA’s all-time scorer on February 7, 2023, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who held the record for 39 years. Including playoffs, James is the first NBA player to score over 50,000 points.

His longevity is comparable to that of wide receiver Jerry Rice. Rice, who played 20 seasons in the NFL, winning three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers, holds the records for receptions (1,549), receiving yards (22,895), and touchdown receptions (197).

Formula 1

Most races without a podium finish: 231+

Having raced in 231 grands prix to date, Nico Hülkenberg is one of the most experienced drivers in Formula One history. Yet, he has never had a top-three finish.

Since making his F1 debut in 2010, the 37-year-old has picked up points in the middle of the pack for Williams, Force India, Renault, Racing Point, Aston Martin, Haas and his current team, Sauber.

Over his long career, the ‘Hulk’s’ ability to collect points has made him a valuable driver for mid-table teams, but the closest he has come to a podium is three fourth-place finishes.

Youngest driver to score points: 17 years, 180 days

Someone who knows a thing or two about podium finishes is Max Verstappen. At the time of publication, the four-time world champion has won 64 F1 grands prix races and is the youngest driver, youngest points scorer and youngest race winner in F1 history.

Max Verstappen made his F1 debut at 17 (Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

The Dutchman earned his first points at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix, finishing in seventh for Toro Rosso on his debut aged 17 years, 180 days.

It will be a tough record to beat. In 2016, motorsport’s governing body, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), introduced a minimum age of 18 in F1, though the rules have since been adjusted, allowing 17-year-olds to apply for an FIA Super Licence, which the FIA will issue at its discretion.

(Top photo: Adam Pretty/Getty Images)