McIlroy repeats at Augusta

Rory McIlroy left Augusta National with the green jacket again Sunday, becoming the first player since Tiger Woods to win the Masters in consecutive years. (golfchannel.com) (nbcchicago.com) McIlroy closed with a 1-under 71 and finished 12-under for the week, one shot ahead of Scottie Scheffler at 11-under. Scheffler shot 68 on Sunday, while Justin Rose, Russell Henley, Tyrrell Hatton and Cameron Young tied for third at 10-under. (golfchannel.com) (nbcchicago.com) The final round turned twice before McIlroy took control. Golf Channel reported he had blown a six-shot lead through 36 holes, then trailed by as many as two Sunday before recovering around the turn. (golfchannel.com) (skysports.com) His decisive stretch came at Amen Corner, Augusta National’s three-hole run from the 11th through the 13th. The PGA Tour said birdies at the 12th and 13th pushed McIlroy to 13-under, and a bogey at the 18th only trimmed the margin to one. (pgatour.com) (skysports.com) The win put McIlroy in one of the smallest clubs in golf. He joined Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods as the only men to win back-to-back Masters titles. (nbcchicago.com) (skysports.com) It also gave McIlroy his sixth major championship and his 30th PGA Tour victory. Sky Sports said the sixth major matched Nick Faldo’s career total, and the PGA Tour said the Augusta win was No. 30 on tour for the 36-year-old from Northern Ireland. (skysports.com) (pgatour.com) (nbcchicago.com) The week did not end as a two-man race. Cameron Young shared the 54-hole lead with McIlroy after a third-round 65, Rose briefly led on Sunday at age 45, and Scheffler’s bogey-free weekend left him one stroke short. (golfchannel.com) (nbcchicago.com) (skysports.com) McIlroy said the wait for his first green jacket made the second one harder to process. “I just can’t believe I waited 17 years to get one Green Jacket and I get two in a row,” he said after tapping in on 18. (skysports.com)