Rory McIlroy shakes off setbacks, wins rare back-to-back Masters

AUGUSTA, Georgia — From wire to wire to a heartbreaking tightrope act.

That pretty much describes Rory McIlroy’s Masters.

He became the fourth man to win back-to-back green jackets on Sunday, surviving shaky golf and a spectacular surge from some of the world’s best players.

In the end, he holed a putt for victory, threw his head back and screamed to the sky, then left the green in tears and persuaded his young daughter, Poppy, under the ropes to give him a hug.

Rory McIlroy celebrates on the 18th green as fans applaud after winning the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday.

(Hector Vivas/Getty Images)

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

It was the sixth major championship for Northern Ireland’s McIlroy, tying him with Nick Faldo for the most of any European golfer in the modern era.

Despite a historic lead heading into the weekend, McIlroy not only fell behind on Sunday, but at times trailed by three shots.

“It was a tough weekend,” he said. “I did most of my work Thursday and Friday. But I’m so happy to hang in there and get the job done.”

It was a dramatic last day. With Scottie Scheffler, Justin Rose and a host of others on his heels, McIlroy steadied himself and pulled away down the home stretch.

But there was drama even at the par four 18th hole. Needing only a bogey to win, McIlroy hit his tee shot deep into the trees on the right. He fired a high shot from right to left from the pine straw into the left front bunker. Two putts later and a second jacket was his, a one-stroke victory over Scheffler.

“I fought well,” Scheffler said, “I did a lot of good things to give myself a chance and I ended up missing a few shots.”

A year ago, McIlroy defeated Rose in a sudden-death playoff match at Augusta to win a career grand slam.

Rory McIlroy celebrates as the crowd roars after winning the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday.

(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

By winning back-to-back Masters – a feat not accomplished since Tiger Woods did it in 2002 – McIlroy joins Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods in one of golf’s most exclusive fraternities.

After two laps it didn’t seem like the weekend would be that difficult. McIlroy had built a six-shot lead, the largest 36-hole advantage in Masters history. But he was above average on Saturday when everyone else on the leaderboard was shooting in the 60s, and he was the only player on the stand that evening, hitting balls into the sunset.

He started Sunday with misses, including a double bogey on the par-three fourth and a bogey shortly after.

Fifteen years ago, in an epic denouement, McIlroy saw a four-shot Sunday lead evaporate with a collapse at Amen Corner – triple bogey, bogey, double bogey on holes 11, 12 and 13.

On Sunday, he played these three holes par, birdie and birdie, helping to exorcise the demons of 2011.

McIlroy and Cameron Young formed the final duo on Sunday, tied at 11 under. Young birdied the second hole but cooled off and had bogeys on 6, 7 and 9.

Rose, looking for his first green jacket, had the lead going into the turn Sunday, but couldn’t hold on and recorded bogeys on 11, 12 and 17. He headed into the clubhouse tied for third, his fifth top-five finish at the Masters.

“If there was anyone who deserved a green jacket, it would probably be Rosey…” said Tyrrell Hatton, who finished in a four-way tie for third. “Incredible player and I imagine one day he will put on a green jacket.”

Scheffler, ranked No. 1 in the world, flirted with the idea of ​​missing the cut after opening with a 70 and a 74. But he shot bogey-free rounds of 65 and 68 this weekend, becoming the first Masters player since 1942 to play every hole Saturday and Sunday at par or better.

Russell Henley, playing on his birthday, notched his fifth top 10 in his last nine majors.

“I felt like I handled the pressure well, handled the conditions well,” Henley said. “It was tough out there. Just hit it well. Really grateful for the good finish.”

Collin Morikawa, battling a back injury that affected his confidence in his legs, warmed up on the back nine and ripped off five birdies in a row. He finished at nine under.

“This will be one of the best tournaments ever,” Morikawa said. “I’m going to remember this one for many reasons, but mostly how strong the mind is, to be able to go out and convince yourself that everything will be okay.”

The biggest implosion of the day came from Haotong Li, who had seven points after three rounds. He started Sunday with a bogey, then had three bogeys in a row on 5, 6 and 7. But that wasn’t the worst.

Li made a triple bogey six on No. 12, then the wheels really came off. He had a 10 – one quintuple bogey – on the 13th, this included a second shot into the bushes, and a third shot that stayed there, and later a firm putt from the fringe that went past the hole and into the water. It was a nightmare.