McIlroy wins at Augusta

Rory McIlroy won the Masters again on Sunday, becoming the first player to repeat at Augusta National since Tiger Woods in 2002. (espn.com) McIlroy shot 71 in the final round and finished at 12-under 276, one stroke ahead of Scottie Scheffler at 11-under. The 2026 Masters was played April 9-12 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) He opened a six-shot lead after 36 holes with rounds of 67 and 65, then shot 73 on Saturday and started Sunday tied for first after giving the field a chance to catch him. NBC News reported that he regained control on the back nine. (nbcnews.com) The win pushed McIlroy into a small group with Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods as the only men to win the Masters in consecutive years. ESPN also reported that he is now tied with Faldo for second-most major titles by a European man, with six. (espn.com) That changed the shape of McIlroy’s Augusta story in two seasons. In 2025, he beat Justin Rose in a playoff for his first Masters title and the career Grand Slam; in 2026, he came back as defending champion and left with a second green jacket. (nbcnews.com) (espn.com) The final margin stayed tight to the end. McIlroy made bogey at the 18th after driving into the trees, while Scheffler closed with a 68 and finished one shot short after playing the final 36 holes without a bogey, according to ESPN. (espn.com) The leaderboard behind them showed how crowded the chase became. Tyrrell Hatton, Russell Henley, Justin Rose and Cameron Young tied for third at 10-under 278. (espn.com) McIlroy also collected $4.5 million from a $22.5 million purse, according to the official ESPN tournament leaderboard. Augusta’s green jacket remains the tournament’s signature prize, but the repeat put his name next to three of the biggest in Masters history. (espn.com) After waiting years to win once at Augusta, McIlroy now has two straight Masters titles in two Aprils. That is the part of the record book that changed on April 12, 2026. (nbcnews.com)