Rory McIlroy, fresh off his Masters victory, swaggered onto The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on May 1, 2025, and turned a chat into a golf clinic. The Northern Irishman, still basking in the glow of his green jacket win at Augusta National on April 13, didn’t just talk shop—he gave Fallon a lesson in precision that left the host grinning and the audience roaring.
McIlroy, who clinched his first Masters title and completed golf’s career Grand Slam, showed up in his new green jacket, a public debut for the prized garment. Fallon, a self-professed golf nut known for roping pros like Tiger Woods onto his set, had a stunt ready: chipping golf balls into washing machines, a nod to a viral clip of a young McIlroy pulling off the same trick at age eight. The setup was simple—two washing machines, a pile of balls, and a challenge to sink shots like kids tossing stones into a bucket.
The segment kicked off with McIlroy recounting his Augusta triumph. He described unwinding during the tournament with his wife, Erica, watching Bridgerton, and bonding with his daughter, Poppy, over Zootopia. But when the golf talk ended, the real show began. McIlroy, all focus and loose-limbed confidence, chipped ball after ball into the machine’s drum, barely breaking a sweat. Fallon, game but outmatched, flubbed shots, his balls skittering across the stage. McIlroy’s grin said it all: this was his turf.
The crowd ate it up, cheering each clean shot and groaning at Fallon’s misses. McIlroy, ever the showman, leaned into the bit, riffing on his childhood practice sessions and joking about Fallon’s form. By the end, the host was laughing off his defeat, tipping his cap to the champ who’d just schooled him on national TV.
McIlroy’s appearance capped a whirlwind month. His Masters win on April 13, 2025, at Augusta National Golf Club marked his fifth major championship. The green jacket ceremony, where he posed with the trophy, was a career pinnacle. On Fallon’s stage, he was a champion at ease, blending charm with the kind of skill that makes golf look effortless.