McIlroy defends Masters
Rory McIlroy successfully defended his Masters title, finishing at 12‑under after a final‑round 71 to win by one stroke over Scottie Scheffler. Round recaps and highlight reels captured pivotal moments — commentators flagged Cameron Young’s missed approach at hole 7 and McIlroy’s 9‑iron to about 8 feet at hole 12 as key turning points in a thrilling final round ( ).
Rory McIlroy left Augusta National with another green jacket on Sunday, closing with a 1-under 71 to win the 2026 Masters by one shot. (pgatour.com) He finished at 12-under par, one ahead of Scottie Scheffler, after carrying a share of the lead into the final round and then surviving a late mistake on the 18th hole. NBC News reported McIlroy drove left at the last, hit his approach from behind trees into a bunker, then chipped on and two-putted for bogey and the victory. (nbcnews.com) The final round swung several times. PGA Tour said three different players held a two-shot lead at some point Sunday before McIlroy regained control with birdies at the 12th and 13th holes. (pgatour.com) One of the biggest shots came at the par-3 12th, where PGA Tour said McIlroy hit over Rae’s Creek to 7 feet and made birdie. Yahoo Sports and The Athletic’s live coverage both highlighted that hole, along with Cameron Young’s missed chance earlier on the front nine, as the moments that changed the tournament. (pgatour.com) (sports.yahoo.com) (nytimes.com) The win put McIlroy into one of the Masters’ smallest clubs. He became only the fourth man to win the tournament in consecutive years, joining Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. (sports.yahoo.com) It also pushed his major total to six. Sky Sports said that total matches Faldo for the most by a European player in the modern era. (skysports.com) This title defense looked less secure than his position two days earlier. Golf Channel reported McIlroy led by six shots after two rounds, then lost that cushion in the third round when Cameron Young pulled even at 11-under entering Sunday. (golfchannel.com) By Sunday afternoon, the chase had spread beyond the final pairing. The Athletic said McIlroy had to hold off Young, Justin Rose and Scheffler during a back-and-forth finish that did not settle until the final green. (nytimes.com) A year after winning at Augusta to complete the career Grand Slam, McIlroy returned and did the rarer thing: he won the same major again under the pressure of defending it. At Augusta National, that was enough to make bogey on 18 feel like the last surviving detail, not the defining one. (nbcnews.com)
