McIlroy defends Masters

Rory McIlroy left Augusta National with another green jacket on Sunday, beating Scottie Scheffler by one shot to win the 2026 Masters. (masters.com) McIlroy finished at 12-under-par after a final-round 71, while Scheffler closed with a 68 to finish at 11-under. Tyrrell Hatton, Russell Henley and Justin Rose tied for third at 10-under. (masters.com) The win paid McIlroy $4.5 million from a record $22.5 million purse, up from previous Masters payouts. Augusta National announced the new total during tournament week. (cbssports.com) McIlroy is now only the fourth player to win consecutive Masters titles, joining Jack Nicklaus in 1965 and 1966, Nick Faldo in 1989 and 1990, and Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002. Augusta National listed that mark among the key numbers from Sunday’s final round. (masters.com) The defense came one year after McIlroy’s 2025 Masters victory completed the career Grand Slam, making him the sixth man to win all four modern majors. Augusta National says he was the first European player to do it. (masters.com) McIlroy, 36, was playing his 18th Masters in 2026 and started the week as the defending champion after beating Rose in a playoff in 2025. His official Masters profile says he also won the Players Championship and the Irish Open last year. (masters.com) The tournament turned sharply on Friday, when McIlroy shot 65 and birdied six of his last seven holes to build a six-shot lead through 36 holes. Augusta National called it a historic start for the defending champion. (masters.com) Scheffler nearly erased that gap over the weekend. He shot 65 on Saturday, his lowest score in 27 Masters rounds, and entered Sunday back in contention before finishing one stroke short. (masters.com) At the green jacket ceremony, McIlroy said he “did want to come back here and prove last year wasn’t a fluke.” By sunset on April 12, he had done that with another win at Augusta. (masters.com)