McIlroy back‑to‑back

Rory McIlroy won the Masters again on Sunday, becoming the fourth golfer to win back-to-back Green Jackets at Augusta National. (apnews.com) McIlroy closed with a 1-under 71 and finished at 12 under par, one shot ahead of Scottie Scheffler in the 90th Masters Tournament. National Broadcasting Company Sports and Golfweek both reported the margin at one stroke after a final round that tightened late. (nbcsports.com) (golfweek.usatoday.com) The field was playing for a record $22.5 million purse, and the winner’s share was $4.5 million. ESPN reported the purse increase before the weekend, and Yahoo Sports published the same top payout after McIlroy’s win. (espn.com) (sports.yahoo.com) Only three men had defended a Masters title before this week, according to National Broadcasting Company Sports, which placed McIlroy alongside the small group of repeat champions at Augusta. ESPN’s tournament coverage said he joined an “elite list” with the second straight win. (nbcsports.com) (espn.com) The victory also gave McIlroy his sixth major championship, a total National Broadcasting Company Sports and the Associated Press both cited after the final round. He is 36 and from Holywood, Northern Ireland. (nbcsports.com) (apnews.com) McIlroy did not coast to the finish. National Broadcasting Company Sports said he played the final two rounds in 73 and 71 after taking a six-shot lead at the halfway mark, and ESPN’s second-round coverage noted that he birdied his final four holes on Friday to build that cushion. (nbcsports.com) (espn.com) Scheffler’s runner-up finish kept the pressure on to the end. Golfweek said McIlroy “secured the Green Jacket” by one shot over Scheffler, while the PGA Tour said he defended his title against “a charging field of the world’s best.” (golfweek.usatoday.com) (pgatour.com) The money around Augusta has climbed fast. Yahoo Sports said the 2026 purse was up from $20 million in 2025, and ESPN listed next week’s RBC Heritage at $20 million, leaving the Masters above every men’s major but still below The Players Championship’s $25 million purse. (sports.yahoo.com) (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) A year after winning his first Green Jacket, McIlroy walked off Augusta with a second straight one, a sixth major, and the biggest check ever paid at the Masters. (apnews.com) (sports.yahoo.com)