McIlroy's second Green Jacket

Rory McIlroy won the 2026 Masters on April 12, holding off Scottie Scheffler by one shot for a second straight Green Jacket. (masters.com) McIlroy closed with a 1-under 71 and finished at 12-under 276 at Augusta National Golf Club. Scheffler, the world No. 1 and a two-time Masters champion, finished second at 11-under. (masters.com) The victory put McIlroy in a group of four men with back-to-back Masters titles: Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods and now McIlroy. It came one year after he beat Justin Rose in a playoff to win the 2025 Masters and complete the career Grand Slam. (masters.com 1) (masters.com 2) McIlroy had built a six-shot lead through 36 holes at 12-under 132, the largest halfway lead in Masters history. Augusta National said that score was also three shots better than the previous best 36-hole total by a defending champion. (masters.com) The final round tightened anyway. Augusta National said four players held at least a share of the lead on Sunday before McIlroy finished ahead of Scheffler, with Justin Rose, Cameron Young, Tyrrell Hatton and Russell Henley tied for third at 10-under. (masters.com) Scheffler’s charge came late, but Augusta National’s recap said McIlroy separated himself on the par-5 holes, playing them in 10-under for the week and 6-under on the second nine. Scheffler played the par-5s in 5-under for the tournament. (masters.com) McIlroy said after the round that his parents, Rosie and Gerry, were at Augusta this year after missing his 2025 win. He said he had to persuade them to attend because they thought staying away had helped him win last year. (masters.com) (theguardian.com) He said their presence entered his mind during the round, but he pushed it aside until the finish. When it was over, the second Green Jacket looked different from the first: less about ending a chase, more about proving he could do it again. (theguardian.com) (masters.com)