McIlroy repeats at Augusta

Rory McIlroy won the Masters again on Sunday, beating Scottie Scheffler by one shot at Augusta National. (cnn.com) McIlroy became the fourth man to win back-to-back green jackets, joining Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. The victory gave the Northern Irishman his sixth major championship. (nbcsports.com; nytimes.com) He finished one stroke ahead of Scheffler after starting the final round tied for the lead with Cameron Young. Scheffler began Sunday four shots back and made the late charge that turned the finish into a one-shot margin. (cnn.com; usatoday.com) The win gave McIlroy a successful title defense at Augusta one year after his 2025 Masters breakthrough. Augusta National has staged the tournament at the same course every year, which makes repeat wins rarer than in majors that rotate sites. (pgatour.com; sportingnews.com) The money grew with the history. The 2026 Masters purse rose to $22.5 million, and McIlroy’s winner’s share was $4.5 million. (cbssports.com) The top 12 finishers each earned at least $517,500, underscoring how sharply the tournament’s payouts have climbed. CBS Sports reported the 2026 purse was a record for Augusta National. (cbssports.com; sports.yahoo.com) McIlroy is now one major short of Harry Vardon’s seven, according to The Athletic, and he is the only men’s player younger than 50 with at least six majors. That places him in the same six-major group as Lee Trevino, Phil Mickelson and Faldo. (nytimes.com) At Augusta, the old pressure point had been whether McIlroy could win once. Two Aprils later, the question is no longer whether he belongs in Masters history, but how much more of it he can claim. (cnn.com; nbcsports.com)