Rory McIlroy wins Masters, first to repeat since Tiger Woods

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy had to wait greater than a decade to win the Masters and full the profession Grand Slam.

He had to wait solely a yr to take residence a second inexperienced jacket.

After squandering a report six-stroke lead in Saturday’s third spherical, McIlroy briefly misplaced the lead once more Sunday earlier than taking management on the second 9 at Augusta National to change into the first back-to-back Masters champion since Tiger Woods in 2001-02 and the fourth total (Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo).

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

“I thought it was so difficult to win last year because of trying to win the Masters and the Grand Slam, and then this year I realized it’s just really difficult to win the Masters,” McIlroy mentioned. “I tried to convince myself it was both.”

McIlroy grew to become solely the fourth golfer up to now 40 years to maintain a lead or co-lead after every spherical of the Masters, in accordance to ESPN Research.

With his sixth main championship victory, the Northern Ireland native joined England’s Faldo for second most amongst European golfers. Only England’s Harry Vardon received extra with seven from 1896 to 1914.

As with final yr, this Masters victory did not come with out some drama on the 18th gap. Holding a two-stroke lead, McIlroy badly sliced his drive into the timber on the fitting, his ball almost reaching the sting of the tenth fairway. Standing in pine straw, McIlroy hooked an 8-iron excessive over the timber into the left bunker on the 18th. He punched out to 12 ft and two-putted for a bogey and one-shot victory over world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who completed at 11 underneath.

“There wasn’t much to say [to caddie Harry Diamond],” McIlroy mentioned of the drive on 18. “I think we were both just hoping that my ball wasn’t in a really bad spot or behind a tree. I was just hoping that I had a swing.”

Thanks to two late birdies, Scheffler closed with a 68 and have become the first golfer since World War II to play bogey-free within the closing two rounds of the Masters.

Tyrrell Hatton, who performs in LIV Golf, tied for third at 10 underneath with Russell Henley, Justin Rose and Cameron Young.

“I hit it amazing today,” Henley mentioned. “I gave myself a bunch of looks. Unfortunately, I didn’t capitalize on those looks on the back like I would have liked to. I felt like I handled the pressure well, handled the conditions well. It was tricky out there.”

McIlroy appeared to be in hassle early in his spherical. After making a birdie on the par-4 third, he three-putted for a double bogey on the par-3 fourth to drop to 10 underneath. A bogey on the par-3 sixth dropped him to 9 underneath, two photographs behind Young.

The early errors had McIlroy taking a look at scoreboards all through his spherical.

“I felt like I needed to, especially after the rough start,” he mentioned. “I needed to know where I was in the tournament, and after the sixth hole I was like, ‘OK, if I can get back to even par for the day,’ which I did with the birdies on 7 and 8, I knew I was going to be right in there going into the back nine. I was keeping an eye all day.

“Thankfully there [were] just a few guys that made a run however nothing like what Justin did final yr with that 66. Some good play by me, and luckily the fellows did not actually come at me this yr both.”

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

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

Then on 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 putted down the green to 11 feet and made a birdie putt for a three-stroke lead with five holes to play.

“I believe the tee shot on 12 after which the tee shot on 13, simply to give me the choice to go for the inexperienced in two,” McIlroy said when asked if any shots stood out Sunday. “I struggled with that tee shot all week. I used to be up within the pine straw there one too many occasions, and I made a extremely good, dedicated swing off the thirteenth tee, and that enabled me to go for the inexperienced in two. To make a birdie there following the birdie on 12, that was huge.”

Rose, a three-time runner-up at Augusta National after losing to McIlroy in a playoff last year, started the final round three strokes behind McIlroy and Young. But he closed the first nine with three straight birdies to move to 12 under for a two-stroke lead when he made the turn.

But it was another devastating finish for Rose. On the 11th, he pushed his approach shot far to the right. He chipped over a bunker on his third shot and couldn’t make a 15-footer 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 chunked his chip shot from behind the green, leaving his ball in the rough. He putted to 5 feet and made another bogey, falling one behind McIlroy.

The 45-year-old, who was attempting to become the second-oldest Masters champion, seemed to regain momentum on his approach on the par-5 15th. From 197 yards, Rose took an aggressive line and his ball bounced onto 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 believe simply [a] probability that obtained away, clearly,” Rose said. “You know, I used to be on no account form of free and clear and was nowhere form of shut to having the job executed, however I used to be proper in place. You know, Amen Corner, with out actually hitting a nasty shot however simply not [a] good shot, not dedicated sufficient on perhaps the [11th approach] shot particularly, it was form of like two saves.”

Scheffler put himself back in 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 carded 11 straight pars before the birdies at Nos. 15 and 16.

“Overall I’m not going to maintain too many regrets, however yeah, positively a bit disillusioned now,” he said. “But like I mentioned, I began the weekend 12 photographs again and ended up just one shot again. If I’m going to blame something, I ought to most likely blame the first two rounds earlier than I begin taking a look at stuff from the final couple.”