McIlroy repeats at Masters

Rory McIlroy won the 2026 Masters on April 12, becoming the first player since Tiger Woods in 2002 to win back-to-back green jackets. (cbssports.com) McIlroy shared the first-round lead, stretched his edge to a tournament-record six shots through 36 holes, then entered Sunday tied with Cameron Young at 11-under after a shaky third round at Augusta National. (golfchannel.com) (sports.yahoo.com) He closed at 12-under for the week and collected his sixth major title, joining Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods as the only men to defend a Masters title. (bleacherreport.com) (jsonline.com) The win kept McIlroy at the center of men’s golf one year after he finally won his first Masters, the title that had long blocked a career Grand Slam. His repeat also came at Augusta, where no player had defended successfully in 24 years. (usatoday.com) (bleacherreport.com) Television numbers rose with him. CBS said the final round averaged 14 million viewers and peaked above 20 million, making it the most-watched Masters Sunday in 11 years; Sports Media Watch reported an 8 percent increase from 2025. (sports.yahoo.com) (sportsmediawatch.com) The coverage itself drew criticism from viewers and from NBC analyst Kevin Kisner, who said on the “Fore Play” podcast that CBS was showing shots long after they happened and missing live action. (sports.yahoo.com 1) (sports.yahoo.com 2) CBS lead announcer Jim Nantz defended the broadcast, saying live television is difficult and calling the crew “the best in the business.” USA Today and the Palm Beach Post reported that Nantz’s response came after complaints about camera choices and delays during Sunday’s round. (sports.yahoo.com) (usatoday.com) The split screen around this Masters was unusual: McIlroy delivered a rare repeat at Augusta, and the tournament still left a second conversation about how fans watched it. On the course, though, the week ended with McIlroy in another green jacket. (cbsnews.com) (sports.yahoo.com)