Masters: McIlroy defends

Rory McIlroy won the Masters again on Sunday, becoming the first man since Tiger Woods to defend the title at Augusta National. (pgatour.com) McIlroy shot a 1-under 71 in the final round and finished at 12-under 276, one stroke ahead of Scottie Scheffler at the 90th Masters. (pgatour.com) He had led by six shots after two rounds, lost that cushion on Saturday, then steadied himself Sunday after a double bogey on the fourth hole and a bogey on the sixth. Birdies on the seventh, eighth, 12th and 13th rebuilt his lead. (nbcnews.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. (nbcnews.com) It also added to a career arc that shifted at Augusta one year earlier, when McIlroy won the 2025 Masters in a playoff over Justin Rose to complete the modern career Grand Slam. (usatoday.com) Scheffler’s charge turned the finish into a duel. He closed with a 68 to get to 11-under, while Justin Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, Russell Henley and Cameron Young finished tied for third at 10-under. (pgatour.com) McIlroy still had to survive the 18th hole. After a wayward drive, he hit his approach from behind trees into a front bunker, got up near the hole, and two-putted for bogey and the win. (pgatour.com) The victory was McIlroy’s 30th on the PGA Tour and his sixth major championship, tying Nick Faldo for the most majors by a European player in the modern era. Augusta National’s record $22.5 million purse paid McIlroy $4.5 million. (pgatour.com 1) (pgatour.com 2) “I just can’t believe I waited 17 years to get one green jacket, and I get two in a row,” McIlroy said after the round. He walked off the 18th green and hugged his daughter, Poppy, for the second straight year as Masters champion. (nbcnews.com) (pgatour.com)