Evin Priest
Augusta, Georgia: Rory McIlroy has launched his already stellar career further into the pantheon of golf greats with an historic second straight Masters victory and sixth major championship win.
A year after delivering professional golf’s most emotional day with his completion of the career grand slam in a play-off at Augusta National, McIlroy emerged as the last-man standing after one of the most helter-skelter Masters in its 90-year history.
It was a nail-biter to the very last minute.
McIlroy flared his tee shot on the 18th right into the trees, but hooked his second around the pines into the greenside bunker. Two putts and a closing bogey gave McIlroy a one-under 71 to finish at 12 under.
That was enough to fend off Scottie Scheffler by one shot, the two-time Masters winner who shot 68 to finish solo second at 11 under.
Scheffler wasn’t even among the four players who held at least a share of the lead on a heart stopping final day. That quartet included McIlroy’s final group playing partner Cameron Young (73), as well as England’s Justin Rose (70) and American Sam Burns (73).
A series of players also made charges, including Tyrrell Hatton (66), Russell Henley (68) and Collin Morikawa (68). Young, Rose, Henley and Hatton shared third at 10 under.
Australia’s Jason Day made par from the greenside bunker at the last to finish tied 12th and narrowly secure an invitation back to the 2027 Masters. He was five under. Adam Scott was two under.
McIlroy became the fourth golfer in history to win consecutive Masters after Jack Nicklaus (1965, 1966), Nick Faldo (1989, 1990) and Tiger Woods (2001, 2002).
The Northern Irishman shocked the galleries when he made double bogey at the par-3 fourth and a bogey at the par-3 sixth. His total fell as low as nine under. But the 36-year-old restored the balance with birdies at the seventh and par-5 eighth.
The difference between McIlroy trying to win a maiden Masters last year – in turn completing capturing all four majors in his career – and a second green jacket was laid bare on Amen Corner.
Last year, McIlroy made a tentative par on the par-3 12th before rinsing a short wedge for his third on the par-5 13th en route to a double bogey.
That 7 on the scorecard was caused by a conservative play from the tee of fairway metal and a subsequent lay-up for his second when he still could have reached the green.
This time around Amen Corner, freed by a 10-year burden of trying to complete the career slam, McIlroy hit his tee shot close on the 12th and made birdie before ripping a driver 320m on the 13th tee shot. That left only 150m to carry Rae’s Creek to the green. He missed it long but still made birdie, three shots better than last year.
McIlroy’s next testing moments came when he airmailed the par-3 16th and missed the 17th but deft pitch shots on both settled to tap-in distance for steadying pars. The bogey on 18 brought back stressful memories for fans, too.
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