McIlroy wins Masters

Rory McIlroy won the 2026 Masters on April 12, finishing at 12-under and becoming the fourth player to win back-to-back green jackets. (pgatour.com) He closed with a 1-under 71 at Augusta National and beat Scottie Scheffler by one shot after starting the final round tied with Cameron Young. (espn.com) The Masters paid a record $22.5 million purse this year, and McIlroy collected $4.5 million for the victory. Scheffler earned $2.43 million, while Tyrrell Hatton, Justin Rose, Russell Henley and Cameron Young tied for third at $1.08 million each. (golfchannel.com) McIlroy’s win was his 30th PGA Tour title and his sixth major championship. The last player to win consecutive Masters before him was Tiger Woods. (pgatour.com) (olympics.com) That puts him in a four-man club at Augusta with Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods, the only players to defend a Masters title. McIlroy had won his first green jacket in 2025, when he completed the career Grand Slam at Augusta. (sports.yahoo.com) (si.com) The final round turned at Amen Corner, Augusta National’s three-hole stretch at Nos. 11, 12 and 13. McIlroy birdied the 12th and 13th, while Rose made bogeys on the 11th and 12th after taking a two-shot lead through nine holes. (pgatour.com) (skysports.com) Rose, 45, finished in a four-way tie for third at 10-under instead of a fourth Masters runner-up. He told reporters afterward it was a “chance that got away” after the mistakes in the middle of the back nine. (usnews.com) (skysports.com) Hatton’s closing 66 moved him into that tie for third, and Scheffler’s 68 nearly caught McIlroy at the top. McIlroy still had to scramble late, including a bogey at 18, before tapping in to win by one. (espn.com) (pgatour.com) A year after finally winning at Augusta, McIlroy left with another green jacket and a place deeper in Masters history. This time, he did it without a playoff. (sports.yahoo.com) (si.com)