McIlroy defends Masters

Rory McIlroy won the Masters again on Sunday, becoming the first player since Tiger Woods to keep the green jacket for a second straight year. (pgatour.com) He finished at 12-under par at Augusta National after a final-round 71, one shot ahead of Scottie Scheffler at 11-under. Justin Rose, Russell Henley, Tyrrell Hatton and Cameron Young tied for third at 10-under. (golfchannel.com) The final round turned twice. McIlroy started Sunday tied with Cameron Young, fell two shots behind after a double bogey at No. 4 and a bogey at No. 6, then moved back in front with birdies at Nos. 12 and 13 before a closing bogey at 18. (si.com) The win put McIlroy in a group of four repeat Masters champions: Jack Nicklaus in 1965 and 1966, Nick Faldo in 1989 and 1990, Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002, and now McIlroy in 2025 and 2026. It was also his sixth major championship and his 30th PGA Tour victory. (nbcchicago.com, pgatour.com) That run lands differently because McIlroy arrived at Augusta in 2025 carrying a decade of near-misses in majors and repeated collapses at the Masters. His playoff win over Rose last year completed the career Grand Slam, making him the sixth man to win all four modern majors. (skysports.com) This year looked easier through 36 holes. McIlroy opened with 67 and 65, set a Masters 36-hole record with a six-shot lead, then shot 73 on Saturday and had to survive a crowded leaderboard on Sunday. (si.com) Scheffler nearly caught him with a bogey-free weekend. He closed with 65 on Saturday and 68 on Sunday, and NBC Chicago reported he became the first golfer since 1942 to play the third and fourth rounds of the Masters without a bogey. (nbcchicago.com) McIlroy said the wait for his first green jacket made the second one harder to process. “I just can’t believe I waited 17 years to get one green jacket, and I get two in a row,” he said after the round. (nbcchicago.com)