In an enthralling, chaotic and ultimately gratifying final round that will go down as one of the most compelling in major championship history, McIlroy (73) had to go one extra hole against Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose (66) to complete the career grand slam and claim his first coveted green jacket.

His final pairing with his US Open nemesis Bryson DeChambeau was built to break box office records.

That his two-shot advantage was thrown away with a double-bogey at the opening hole followed by a DeChambeau birdie at the second to take the lead made the storyline all the more absorbing.

There were shots only McIlroy can hit – his second into seven, a hooked 7-iron from 208 yards to six feet at the par-5 15th – yet there were also mistakes that have plagued the Northern Irishman for a decade.

An inexplicable pitch into Rae’s Creek beside the 13th green saw what was a five-shot lead as he strode down the 11th hole disintegrate into a three-way tie at 10-under with both Rose and Ludvig Aberg (72).

The birdie on 17 would prove pivotal after McIlroy failed to get up-and-down from the greenside bunker on 18. He would fulfil his destiny with a perfect tee shot at the first playoff hole, an approach that spun back toward the hole and the longest two-foot tap-in of his life.

It was Day’s best finish since he was tied for fifth in 2019.

With all manner of drama unfolding behind him, Day was just three strokes from the lead with four holes to play.

He left a birdie attempt out to the left from the back fringe of the par-5 15th and then two-putted from 72 feet for par at the par-3 16th.

Closing bogeys at 17 and 18 were just his fourth and fifth for the week as the 37-year-old relished his return to the heat of major championship Sunday.

“It’s nice to be like third group from the end, at least trying to give myself a chance at winning the Masters,” said Day, who now has five top-10 finishes at Augusta National.

“I’m pretty gutted right now. It’s annoying to give myself the opportunities out there and not be able to take them.

“I mean, it’s a step in the right direction. That’s all I can say. It’s hard to walk off the golf course and go straight into an interview even though… I’m pretty headless right now.

“Just a few minor tweaks here and there and a few more putts go in, it might be a different story this week.”

The final round was a day of give and take for Lee.

The 26-year-old began brightly with an exquisite pitch shot to set up birdie at the par-5 second but, as would be the case all Sunday, Augusta National soon took it back, and then some.

There were bogeys at three, four and six before Lee hit another superb approach from the left rough on his way to birdie at the par-4 seventh.

He bogeyed 10 and 12, picked them back up again with birdies at 13 and 14 and then, finally, dropped to 2-over on his round with a bogey at the par-5 15th.

Holing out from the greenside bunker for par at the 72nd hole was a very Min Woo way to finish as he continues to build his database of Masters memories.

“I had a chat with my caddie Bo walking up 18, and I just asked him if it’s more of a mental or a technical battle here,” said Lee.

“Obviously you need to be on with your game, but I think the mental has to be right up there.

“The top players mentally are going to be at the top of the leaderboard, which I think they are.

“That leaderboard up there has a lot of major champion winners and guys who have played well over the past whatever years.

“A lot of learning to do. I’m really early in the stages of hopefully my career at Augusta, so I can’t wait for whatever the next few years have in store.”

Day’s wasn’t the only top-10 finish by an Aussie this week as Kelsey Bennett recorded her career-best result on the Ladies European Tour.

Bennett, who started the final day in a tie for eighth, dropped her only shot of the day on the fifth hole, before having three birdies in a row on the back nine.

Tied for eighth a week ago at the Joburg Ladies Open to climb to No.266 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking, Bennett finished three shots back of Perrine Delacour in outright third.

That surpasses her tie for seventh at last year’s Lacoste Ladies Open de France and elevates her to 16th on the Order of Merit in her rookie season on the LET.

Making early inroads on the leaderboard with birdies at two and four, Bennett’s Sunday charge hit a hurdle with a bogey on five.

The 25-year-old responded with birdie at the par-5 seventh but it wasn’t until she peeled off three on the trot from the 13th hole that she dared look at the leaderboard.

“I just gave myself plenty of opportunities so I’m glad a few on the back nine dropped,” said Bennett.

“I wasn’t looking at the leaderboard too much until I had three birdies in a row and then said to Michelle [caddie and partner], ‘I need to see.’

“Then that felt pretty good.”

Results

Masters Tournament
Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia
1          Rory McIlroy                72-66-66-73—277
T8        Jason Day                    70-70-71-72—283      
T50      Min Woo Lee                71-72-77-74—294      
MC       Adam Scott                  77-72—149
MC       Cameron Smith            71-78—149
MC       Cam Davis                   74-79—153

Japan Golf Tour
Token Homemate Cup
Tokken Tado Country Club, Nagoya, Mie
Reduced to 54 holes due to rain
1          Tatsunori Shogenji       66-64-66—196 ¥19.5m
T54      Michael Hendry           72-68-70—210 ¥231,353
66        Brad Kennedy              71-68-74—213 ¥213,525

Ladies European Tour
Investec SA Women’s Open
Erinvale Country and Golf Estate, South Africa
1          Perrine Delacour          65-69-70-70—274       €51,000          
3          Kelsey Bennett             69-68-73-67—277       €17,850
T20      Amelia Garvey (NZ)      71-71-71-70—283       €4,246.91
T45      Momoka Kobori (NZ)   69-73-73-72—287       €1,598

HotelPLanner Tour
UAE Challenge
Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club, Ajman, UAE
1          Renato Paratore           69-68-64-65—266       €42,538.46
T50      Hayden Hopewell        69-70-72-71—282       €1,042.19
MC       Danny List                    73-71—144
MC       Sam Jones (NZ)            74-72—146

Sunshine Tour
Qualifying School Final Stage
Heron Banks Golf & River Resort
1          Luis Carrera                  66-69-68-61—264
T12      Austin Bautista             67-67-71-71—276
T49      Ben Eccles                    71-70-73-71—285
DQ       Phoenix Campbell