McIlroy repeats at Augusta

Rory McIlroy left Augusta National with another green jacket on Sunday, beating Scottie Scheffler by one shot for a second straight Masters title. (apnews.com) McIlroy finished the 90th Masters at 12-under-par 276 after rounds of 67, 65, 73 and 71. Scheffler closed at 11-under 277, with Tyrrell Hatton, Russell Henley, Justin Rose and Cameron Young tied for third at 10-under. (espn.com) The win came April 12 at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, where McIlroy started the week with his best opening round at the Masters since 2011 and then held off a crowded Sunday chase. The Associated Press reported that he had blown a six-shot lead in the third round and briefly trailed by two shots in the final round before recovering with birdies around Amen Corner. (golfweek.usatoday.com | apnews.com) McIlroy became the fourth man to win the Masters in consecutive years, joining Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. NBC Sports and Yahoo Sports both said the repeat put him in one of the tournament’s smallest clubs. (nbcsports.com | sports.yahoo.com) The defense mattered because McIlroy had entered 2025 carrying years of Augusta disappointment before finally winning there last spring. The Associated Press said that first Masters title completed the career Grand Slam, and this year’s victory turned a one-time breakthrough into back-to-back wins at the same major. (apnews.com) Scheffler’s finish added another near miss at Augusta rather than another jacket. CBS News reported that he shot 65 and 68 on the weekend, went bogey-free over the final 36 holes and called it “a good fight” after falling one shot short. (cbsnews.com) The leaderboard showed how tight Sunday became behind McIlroy and Scheffler. Rose and Young were both in the mix late, and Hatton and Henley also finished within two shots of the lead. (espn.com | skysports.com) McIlroy’s prize was $4.5 million from a $22.5 million purse, according to the final leaderboard. By Sunday evening, Augusta had delivered the same result as a year earlier: McIlroy on top, and everyone else chasing. (espn.com)