McIlroy wins back-to-back

Rory McIlroy won the Masters again on Sunday, beating Scottie Scheffler by one shot to become Augusta National’s first repeat champion since Tiger Woods. (espn.com) McIlroy finished at 12-under 276 after rounds of 67, 65, 73 and 71 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Scheffler closed with a 68 to finish at 11-under 277. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) The winner’s share was $4.5 million from a record $22.5 million purse, the largest in Masters history. The 2026 field played for $2.5 million more than the $20 million purse Augusta National paid in 2025. (golfchannel.com) (masters.com) The repeat put McIlroy in a group of four men who have won consecutive Masters titles. ESPN said the others are Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods, whose back-to-back titles came in 2001 and 2002. (espn.com) That list matters at Augusta because the Masters is played at the same course every year, which makes repeat winners a direct measure of who solved Augusta National more than once. Masters.com said McIlroy also became the tournament’s fourth wire-to-wire winner in the past four decades. (masters.com) (golfchannel.com) The final round was not a runaway. ESPN reported that McIlroy briefly lost the lead Sunday after giving back part of the six-shot advantage he held through 36 holes, then regained control on the second nine. (espn.com) Behind McIlroy and Scheffler, four players tied for third at 10-under: Tyrrell Hatton, Russell Henley, Justin Rose and Cameron Young. Each earned $1.08 million, according to the final payout sheet. (espn.com) McIlroy said in the Green Jacket Ceremony that he wanted to “prove last year wasn’t a fluke.” On Sunday evening, he left Augusta with a second green jacket and the biggest check the tournament has ever written. (masters.com) (golfchannel.com)