McIlroy repeats at Augusta

Rory McIlroy kept the green jacket at Augusta National on Sunday, defending his Masters title by one shot over Scottie Scheffler. (espn.com) McIlroy closed with a 1-under 71 and finished the 90th Masters at 12 under par. Scheffler, the world No. 1, finished second at 11 under after a late Sunday charge. (golfweek.usatoday.com) The final round tightened after McIlroy’s six-shot lead shrank on Saturday, and he briefly lost control again Sunday before steadying himself on the back nine. ESPN reported he bogeyed the 18th but still held on, while Golfweek said birdies around Amen Corner helped him regain command. (espn.com) (golfweek.usatoday.com) The win made McIlroy the first player to repeat as Masters champion since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002. It also put him in a four-man group of back-to-back winners at Augusta with Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods. (nbcchicago.com) (sports.yahoo.com) For McIlroy, the title was his sixth major championship. A year after ending his long wait for a first Masters win, he now has two green jackets in consecutive Aprils. (nbcsports.com) (sports.yahoo.com) Scheffler was not the only challenger. The Athletic reported McIlroy had to fend off pressure from Cameron Young and Justin Rose as the leaderboard shifted through the afternoon. (nytimes.com) The tournament was the 90th edition of the Masters, played at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. McIlroy’s defense turned a week that began with repeat questions into a finish decided on the last hole. (pgatour.com) (golfchannel.com) When McIlroy arrived at the 18th green with one shot to spare, Augusta was down to the smallest margin in golf’s most tradition-bound major. He left with the same jacket, and a place deeper in Masters history. (espn.com)