Rory McIlroy wins Masters, first to repeat since Tiger Woods

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy had to wait more than a decade to win the Masters and complete his career Grand Slam.

He only had to wait a year to leave with a second green jacket.

After squandering a record six-shot lead in Saturday’s third round, McIlroy briefly lost the lead again on Sunday before taking control of the back nine at Augusta National to become the first back-to-back Masters champion since Tiger Woods in 2001-02 and the fourth overall (Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo).

A day after his 1-over 73 opened the door to a handful of golfers, McIlroy posted a 71 despite a bogey on the 18th to win by a stroke at 12-under 276.

“I can’t believe I waited 17 years to get a green jacket, and [then] “I have two in a row,” McIlroy said. “I think all my perseverance at this golf tournament over the years has really started to pay off.”

McIlroy became only the fourth golfer in the last 40 years to hold a lead or co-lead after every round of the Masters, according to ESPN Research.

With his sixth major championship victory, the Northern Ireland native joined the Englishman Faldo in second place among European golfers. Only Englishman Harry Vardon won more with seven from 1896 to 1914.

Like last year, this victory at the Masters did not come without a lot of drama on the 18th hole. Holding a two-shot lead, McIlroy miscut his drive into the trees on the right, his ball almost reaching the edge of the 10th fairway. Standing in the pine straw, McIlroy hung an 8-iron above the trees in the left bunker at the 18th. He hit it to 12 feet and two-putted for bogey and a one-stroke victory over world number one Scottie Scheffler, who finished at 11 under.

Thanks to two late birdies, Scheffler closed with a 68 and became the first golfer since World War II to play bogey-free through the final two rounds of the Masters.

LIV Golf’s Tyrrell Hatton is tied for third at 10 under with Russell Henley, Justin Rose and Cameron Young.

“I hit an incredible shot today,” Henley said. “I gave myself a lot of looks. Unfortunately, I didn’t capitalize on those glances at the back like I would have liked. I felt like I handled the pressure well, handled the conditions well. It was tricky out there.”

McIlroy appeared to be in trouble early in his round. After birdieing the par-4 third, he three-putted for double bogey on the par-3 fourth to fall to 10 under. A bogey on the par-3 sixth dropped him to 9 under, two shots behind Young.

Early errors caused McIlroy to consult the scorecards throughout his round.

“I felt the need, especially after a difficult start,” he said. “I needed to know where I was in the tournament, and after the sixth hole I said to myself, ‘OK, if I can get back to even for the day,’ which I did with the birdies on 7 and 8, I knew I was going to be there for the back nine. I kept an eye on it all day.

“Luckily there [were] a few guys made a run but nothing like what Justin did last year with that 66. I had a good game, and luckily the guys didn’t really go after me this year either.

McIlroy took control at Amen Corner, Augusta National’s famous three-hole stretch, from Nos. 11-13.

He reached par on the par-4 11th to maintain a one-shot lead over four golfers, then hit his tee shot with a 9-iron over the par-3 12th green. His ball landed and hit right, stopping 7 feet from the hole. McIlroy’s birdie putt broke right and dropped into the cup for a two-shot lead.

Then, at the par-5 13th, McIlroy crushed a 350-yard drive down the right side, leaving him 183 yards from the hole. His approach shot bounced off the back of the green, about 22 yards away. McIlroy teeed up the green from 11 feet and birdied it for a three-shot lead with five holes to play.

“I think the tee shot was given at 12 and then the tee shot was given at 13, just to give me the opportunity to get to the green in two,” McIlroy said when asked if any shots stood out on Sunday. “I struggled with that tee shot all week. I was in the pine straw there one too many times, and I made a really good, committed swing off the 13th tee, and that got me to the green in two. To make a birdie there after the birdie on the 12th was huge.”

Rose, a three-time finalist at Augusta National after losing to McIlroy in a playoff last year, began the final round three shots behind McIlroy and Young. But he closed the front nine with three straight birdies to move to 12 under and take a two-shot lead when he made the turn.

However, it was another devastating ending for Rose. On the 11th, he pushes his approach shot far to the right. He holed a bunker on his third shot and couldn’t make a 15-foot shot for par. The bogey dropped him to 11 under, tying him with McIlroy.

Rose’s tee shot on the 12th was long and left. Somehow he chipped away behind the green, leaving his ball in the rough. He rolled to 5 feet and made another bogey, falling behind McIlroy.

The 45-year-old, who was trying to become the second-oldest Masters champion, appeared to regain momentum approaching the par-5 15th. From 197 yards, Rose took an aggressive line and his ball bounced off the green and stopped 30 feet from the hole. But Rose missed an eagle putt, then an 8-foot birdie try and had to settle for a three-putt par, leaving him two behind McIlroy.

“I just think [a] “Chance got away, obviously,” Rose said. “You know, I was by no means free and clear and I was nowhere near getting the job done, but I was in a good position. You know, Amen Corner, not really hitting a bad shot but just not [a] good shot, perhaps not committed enough on the [11th approach] shot in particular, it was a bit like two saves. “

Scheffler returned to the hunt for a third green jacket with a 7-under 65 on Saturday. He made two early birdies in the final round, but then made 11 straight pars before birdies at Nos. 15 and 16.

“Overall, I’m not going to have too many regrets, but yeah, I’m definitely a little disappointed now,” he said. “But like I said, I started the weekend 12 shots back and I only finished one shot back. If I’m going to blame anything, I should probably blame the first two rounds before I start looking at the stuff from the last two.”