$172million Hall of Famer’s unlikely career change resulted in historic Rory McIlroy Masters photo

All eyes were on Ken Griffey Jr. when he stepped out to hit home run after home run across a 22-year MLB career.

But at the Masters last year, he was the man behind the lens to capture a truly iconic photograph of another sporting hero.

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Not content with being one of the most prolific hitters in baseball history, the 13-time All-Star took his talents to Augusta National in 2025.

Griffey was invited down as a credentialed photographer for Masters.com, and took his place on the green when all eyes were on a Grand Slam-chasing Rory McIlroy for the final round.

The MLB Hall of Famer earned over $172 million across 22 seasons in the pros, but following his 2010 retirement, the work hasn’t stopped.

Baseball icon took iconic Rory McIlroy photos at 2025 Masters

As McIlroy sunk his final putt to beat Justin Rose in a dramatic playoff to finally win his first green jacket 12 months ago, he fell to his knees as the emotion poured out.

With one final stroke, the Northern Irishman made 90-year Masters history and became the first European golfer to complete the career Grand Slam, 14 years after his last triumph at a major.

Photographs of McIlroy’s euphoric moment instantly went viral, and it was soon revealed that some of the most memorable shots were captured by none other than Griffey.

But what was it, exactly, that made his work stand out above the rest?

Perhaps, it was the mindset that he had from behind the camera.

“The story in those pictures came from him,” he said, in an interview with The Athletic that recounted his experience last yeaer.

“That’s what he did. Not what I did. I just happened to capture one moment in his career.”

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In 2026, Griffey is set to build on his success from shooting McIlroy at the Masters.

The baseball legend is planning to work World Cup matches in Seattle — where he played more than a decade of his own career — and a handful of other events.

It’s been quite the journey for a 13-time All Star.

How did Ken Griffey Jr. get into photography?

The former Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds star first picked up a camera decades ago, and he hasn’t put it down since.

Griffey has been accredited to shoot baseball, MLS, NFL and IndyCar events in recent years.

“Some doors open because of who I am, but I take what I do very seriously,” Griffey said, in an interview for Photographer No. 24, a documentary on his new career that aired ahead of the Masters.

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But being behind the lens to capture history is not the only reason Griffey decided to pursue a new career away from the ballpark.

He has previously revealed that he did so to ensure he was able to pay attention to his children’s sporting events without distractions from other fans.

“It was actually the only way I could see my kids,” he told Mornings at The Masters in 2025.

“I was still playing, and I understand what my dad felt like, coming to watch me play.

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“But now, with social media, it’s a little different. My daughter literally stopped dribbling a basketball and just looked at me, when she was five.

“And I was like, ‘Okay, I have to pay more attention to what’s going on.’ I figured nobody’s messing with the photographer, well let me pick it up and try.

“I have a couple of photographer friends who sent me a couple of cameras and lenses, and said, ‘Here you go.’ They didn’t tell me anything about it, they just said, ‘Don’t put it on auto.'”

Ken Griffey Jr. keeps family photos close to his heart

The MLB icon went on to open up about his experience of shooting at the Masters.

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“It’s been unreal,” he revealed.

“I said I was not going to go to the Masters until I play it.

“I got the opportunity a couple of years ago, and now I have the opportunity to shoot it.

“It’s been unbelievable and wild.”

While Griffey snapped McIlroy’s moment at the 2025 Masters — a photo that will go down in history — his personal favorites are of his three children.

They remain in the family album at home.

Son Trey was snapped catching his first touchdown pass at the University of Arizona, while Tevin was photographed returning his first interception for a touchdown at Florida A&M.

Griffey also has a photograph of his daughter, Taryn, making her first college basket.

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