Rory McIlroy let his putter fly high, put his head in his hands and dropped to his knees as fans celebrated wildly at Augusta National. McIlroy's sheer relief was laid bare as he ended his long wait to win the Masters and complete a career Grand Slam.
Associated Press photographers were there to capture the raw emotion and unforgettable images as McIlroy won a playoff against Justin Rose.
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A rain droplet falls on a Masters logo cut out during a practice round at the Masters golf tournament, April 7, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
Kazakhstan's Daisy Jepkemei competes in a heat of the women's 3,000 meters steeplechase after losing a shoe at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Sept. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
Golden State Valkyries center Temi Fagbenle (14) loses the ball against Seattle Storm forward Ezi Magbegor (13) and guard Erica Wheeler, right, during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, July 16, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
Cameron Crazies student section try to distract Stanford's Oziyah Sellers's as he in-bounds the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Duke in Durham, N.C., Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown, File)
Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan looses grip on his bat while playing a shot during the Asia Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri, File)
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts sits in the dugout during a spring training baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Feb. 20, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
Canada's Erik Read competes in an alpine ski, men's World Cup Giant Slalom, in Hafjell, Norway, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti, File)
Teammates shower Cincinnati Reds' Elly De La Cruz with play money in the dugout after his two-run homer during the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, in Cincinnati, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt enters the field before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Nov. 30, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed, File)
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia drives during a practice session at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix auto race, Nov. 20, 2025 in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
Dani Baijens, of the Netherlands, center, tries to score during the second round, group D, handball match between The Netherlands and North Macedonia at the Handball Men's World Championship in Varazdin, Croatia, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File)
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates winning the men's semifinal singles match against Taylor Fritz of the U.S. at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 11, 2025.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches his RBI-Double against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning in Game 3 of baseball's World Series, Oct. 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
Green Bay Packers fan Jeff Kahlow watches before an NFL football game between the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles, Nov. 10, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer, File)
Baylor guard Jalen Celestine (32) is fouled by Mississippi State forward RJ Melendez, left, during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, March 21, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)
A boy shouts as the pack rides up the Montmartre hill during the last stage of the Tour de France cycling race between Mantes-la-Ville and Paris, July 27, 2025 in Paris (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani, File)
New Zealand's Jorja Miller gets her hair pulled by Charlotte Escudero of France during the Women's Rugby World Cup bronze match between New Zealand and France at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London, Sept. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Anthony Upton, File)
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, right, works toward the basket as Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier defends during the second half of a WNBA basketball game , July 22, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)
A spectator takes a nap next to a court of the French Tennis Open, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, May 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
Bayern's Leroy Sane challenges for the ball with Leipzig's David Raum, bottom, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and FC Bayern Munich at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
Andrew Putnam hits on the 16th hole during the final round of the Sony Open golf event, Jan. 12, 2025, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. serves to Paula Badosa of Spain during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake, File)
Milwaukee Brewers' Abner Uribe enters the game during the ninth inning of Game 2 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs, Oct. 6, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
Qatar's Oumar Doudai Abakar competes in a men's 110 meters hurdles heat at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Sept. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)
Pavle Peric of Serbia is blocked by Iran players during a round of 16 match at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay city, Philippines, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)
Driver Henk Lategan and co-driver Brett Cummings compete during the fourth stage of the Dakar Rally between Al Henakiyah and Alula, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
England's Lucy Bronze celebrates after scoring a penalty during a shootout at the end of the Women's Euro 2025 quarterfinal soccer match between Sweden and England at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland, July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
Philadelphia Eagles players celebrate with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Eagles won the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) hurdles Chicago Bears defensive back Kevin Byard III (31) on a run during an NFL football game, Nov. 2, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar, File)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, reacts after winning in a playoff against Justin Rose after the final round at the Masters golf tournament, April 13, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
St. Louis Cardinals' Victor Scott II, bottom, scores against the San Francisco Giants on Brendan Donovan's double during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Sept. 23, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)
And they were there to capture the perfect shot of St. Louis Cardinals’ Victor Scott II sliding home to score against the San Francisco Giants in September.
They are just two of the best sports images caught by AP photographers in 2025.
A stunning set of pictures include the Philadelphia Eagles’ celebrations after winning the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs and England’s Lucy Bronze converting a penalty in the Women’s European Championship, which the Lionesses went on to win.
As well as some of the year’s biggest triumphs, AP photographers captured moments at the heart of the action like the Netherlands’ Dani Baijens getting a finger in the eye as he tried to score at the Handball Men’s World Championship — and New Zealand’s Jorja Miller being tugged back by her hair as she tries to race away at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Here are The AP’s top sports photos of 2025.
Photo editing by: Tony Hicks and Matt York
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
A rain droplet falls on a Masters logo cut out during a practice round at the Masters golf tournament, April 7, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
Kazakhstan's Daisy Jepkemei competes in a heat of the women's 3,000 meters steeplechase after losing a shoe at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Sept. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
Golden State Valkyries center Temi Fagbenle (14) loses the ball against Seattle Storm forward Ezi Magbegor (13) and guard Erica Wheeler, right, during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, July 16, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
Cameron Crazies student section try to distract Stanford's Oziyah Sellers's as he in-bounds the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Duke in Durham, N.C., Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown, File)
Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan looses grip on his bat while playing a shot during the Asia Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri, File)
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts sits in the dugout during a spring training baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Feb. 20, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
Canada's Erik Read competes in an alpine ski, men's World Cup Giant Slalom, in Hafjell, Norway, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti, File)
Teammates shower Cincinnati Reds' Elly De La Cruz with play money in the dugout after his two-run homer during the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, in Cincinnati, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt enters the field before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Nov. 30, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed, File)
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia drives during a practice session at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix auto race, Nov. 20, 2025 in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
Dani Baijens, of the Netherlands, center, tries to score during the second round, group D, handball match between The Netherlands and North Macedonia at the Handball Men's World Championship in Varazdin, Croatia, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File)
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates winning the men's semifinal singles match against Taylor Fritz of the U.S. at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 11, 2025.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches his RBI-Double against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning in Game 3 of baseball's World Series, Oct. 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
Green Bay Packers fan Jeff Kahlow watches before an NFL football game between the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles, Nov. 10, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer, File)
Baylor guard Jalen Celestine (32) is fouled by Mississippi State forward RJ Melendez, left, during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, March 21, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)
A boy shouts as the pack rides up the Montmartre hill during the last stage of the Tour de France cycling race between Mantes-la-Ville and Paris, July 27, 2025 in Paris (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani, File)
New Zealand's Jorja Miller gets her hair pulled by Charlotte Escudero of France during the Women's Rugby World Cup bronze match between New Zealand and France at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London, Sept. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Anthony Upton, File)
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, right, works toward the basket as Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier defends during the second half of a WNBA basketball game , July 22, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)
A spectator takes a nap next to a court of the French Tennis Open, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, May 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
Bayern's Leroy Sane challenges for the ball with Leipzig's David Raum, bottom, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and FC Bayern Munich at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
Andrew Putnam hits on the 16th hole during the final round of the Sony Open golf event, Jan. 12, 2025, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. serves to Paula Badosa of Spain during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake, File)
Milwaukee Brewers' Abner Uribe enters the game during the ninth inning of Game 2 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs, Oct. 6, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
Qatar's Oumar Doudai Abakar competes in a men's 110 meters hurdles heat at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Sept. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)
Pavle Peric of Serbia is blocked by Iran players during a round of 16 match at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay city, Philippines, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)
Driver Henk Lategan and co-driver Brett Cummings compete during the fourth stage of the Dakar Rally between Al Henakiyah and Alula, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
England's Lucy Bronze celebrates after scoring a penalty during a shootout at the end of the Women's Euro 2025 quarterfinal soccer match between Sweden and England at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland, July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
Philadelphia Eagles players celebrate with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Eagles won the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) hurdles Chicago Bears defensive back Kevin Byard III (31) on a run during an NFL football game, Nov. 2, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar, File)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, reacts after winning in a playoff against Justin Rose after the final round at the Masters golf tournament, April 13, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
St. Louis Cardinals' Victor Scott II, bottom, scores against the San Francisco Giants on Brendan Donovan's double during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Sept. 23, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)
