McIlroy slips on second straight Green Jacket

In the span of two years, Augusta has gone from a source of frustration to a personal sanctuary for Rory McIlroy, who on Sunday captured the Masters for the second consecutive year. The victory places him in an exclusive group that includes Jack Nicklaus (1965–66), Nick Faldo (1989–90) and Tiger Woods, the last to do it in 2001–02. On a final day that began with uncertainty, and even briefly raised the prospect of something unprecedented — the world’s top three players, McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Young, finishing 1-2-3 in a major — the Northern Irishman calmly managed the position he had built since Thursday, when he shared the lead with Sam Burns. He closed out his sixth major with a 1-under 71 to finish at 12-under.

The competition was fierce. It included world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, a four-time major winner with two Green Jackets already to his name. Justin Rose, runner-up in two Augusta playoffs — last year against McIlroy and in 2017 against Sergio García — and a U.S. Open champion. And Cameron Young, a player widely expected to break through sooner rather than later, but who struggled to fully handle his first appearance in the tournament’s final pairing. None of them could unsettle a player who now moves around Augusta with enviable confidence. Like a reed that bends but does not break, McIlroy absorbed pressure even in moments of difficulty, most notably a double bogey at No. 4. Only three Masters winners in the past 30 years have managed to overcome such a stumble in the final round: Trevor Immelman in 2008, Scheffler in 2022, and McIlroy himself in 2025 and now again.

With his career Grand Slam secured here a year ago, McIlroy is now playing with a freedom that seems to lift him at Augusta. Young briefly applied pressure with a birdie at No. 2, matched a hole later. When the American faltered with bogeys at Nos. 6 and 7, Rose surged with birdies at 8 and 9 to take sole possession of the lead. His record here is remarkable and, in some ways, puzzling. He has held at least a share of the lead after one of the first three rounds nine times — third all-time behind Arnold Palmer (14) and Nicklaus (13) — yet has never slipped on the sport’s most coveted jacket. The composure with which he handles that history is a study in itself, a masterclass in managing frustration.

What he could not manage was Amen Corner. Mistakes at Nos. 11 and 12 derailed his charge, and he never recovered. At 13, he reached the green in two but three-putted for par. At that stage, with Tyrrell Hatton — the only player flying the LIV Golf flag this week — already in the clubhouse at 10-under, the question became whether McIlroy would hold his nerve to complete the repeat. Scheffler, who played the final two rounds without a bogey — the first to do so at Augusta since World War II — did everything he could to apply pressure, but it was not enough.

McIlroy strides to victory at the Masters

McIlroy, for his part, even managed to tame the mystique of Amen Corner on his way to victory. He made a comfortable par at 11, where he had found the water the day before, then followed with a birdie at 12 — something only 14 champions have managed in the final round, including Patrick Reed in 2018 and Phil Mickelson in 2004 and 2010. Another birdie came at the par-5 13th, guarded by Rae’s Creek. Ahead of him, the field was running out of holes. All he needed to do was avoid disaster.

There was none down the stretch. Only at 18 did a flicker of drama emerge, when his tee shot found the trees to the right of the fairway, bringing back memories of last year’s chaotic finish — the second shot into the bunker, the bogey that forced a playoff with Rose. This time, McIlroy stayed in control. Holding a two-shot cushion, he played for the green, found the sand, left himself 12 feet, and two-putted for bogey. It was enough. A year ago, the question was how long it would take him to win another major. Now, the question is how many more he might claim.

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