McIlroy notches Major number six with historic back-to-back Masters wins
Masters champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates after the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 12, 2026
Rory McIlroy etched his name alongside the Masters legends and edged closer to the upper slopes of golf’s Mount Olympus when he became just the fourth man to win back-to-back green jackets at Augusta National.
The Holywood superstar (36) overcame losing a record six-shot halfway lead in round three and covering his opening six holes in two-over-par to play the remaining 12 in three-under to 71 to win by one stroke from Scottie Scheffler on 12-under par.
In winning his sixth Major — a feat that ties him with Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo and Phil Mickelson on the all-time list — he joined Jack Nicklaus, Faldo and Tiger Woods in an ultra-select group of champions to successfully defend their Masters titles.
As so often with McIlroy, it was far from straightforward.
Two clear and needing a bogey at the 18th to win by one, he carved his tee shot into the trees, semi-plugged his second in the left greenside bunker but splashed out onto the green to set up a two-putt bogey and victory.
Rose (70), Tyrrell Hatton (66), Russell Henley (68) and joint overnight leader Cameron Young (73) tied for third on 10-under.
As tradition dictates, it all unfolded over the storied back nine in the Cathedral of Pines.
McIlroy headed to the 10th level for the day after birdies at the seventh and eighth, one stroke behind 45-year-old Justin Rose, who was bidding to become the oldest winner since 46-year-old Nicklaus 40 years ago.
Shane Lowry’s Masters dream was shattered early when he played his first five holes in three over, turned from home five behind and then limped home in 41 to shoot an 80 that left him tied 30th on one-under.
When it came to the title battle, Rose was the first to blink, dropping shots at the 11th and 12th.
McIlroy stepped up a gear through Amen Corner, making a two from eight feet at the 12th and another birdie from 11 feet at the 13th to lead by three from Rose, Cameron Young, Russell Henley, Scottie Scheffler and clubhouse leader Tyrrell Hatton (66) on 13-under.
Scheffler, far from his best early in the week, remarkably closed to within two with outrageous birdies at the 15th and 16th.
But he failed by a hair to make the Nicklaus putt at the 17th and shot a bogey-free 68 to on 11-under.
It was McIlroy’s to win or lose coming down the stretch, and after making an adventurous par at the 15th after his third barely cleared the pond, he made an all-world chip and putt par from over the 16th to remain two in front.
Bunkered at the 12th, he dropped another shot there and while there were birdies at the 13th and 15th, he bogeyed the 14th, doubled the 16th after rinsing his tee shot and bogeyed the last.
The front nine proved fatal to Lowry, and it almost threatened to derail McIlroy’s title hopes, too.
The big Offaly man’s troubles started at the first, where he complained about someone coughing in his backswing as he faced a delicate chip off a poor approach and made bogey.
He birdied the second and parred the third, but three-putted the fourth and double-bogeyed the fifth after finding the cavernous fairway bunker.
His recovery caught the face of the bunker and ricocheted left under a tree, from where he found the front edge of the green, only to three-putt from 99 feet for a double-bogey six.
McIlroy was also ragged over the opening holes, leaving a 10-foot birdie chance short at the first as a wind gust prompted him to re-set.
He could only par the second after finding sand from the tee yet again, and while he birdied the third to tie with Young on 12-under, the iron play problems that dogged his third round resurfaced at the fourth.
He pulled his tee shot left of the sand, pitched nine feet past and three-putted for a double-bogey.
Another bogey at the sixth, where he went long into the crowd, was alleviated by Young’s three-putt.
A two-shot swing at the seventh, where he made birdie, and Young took five after chunking a wedge into the sand, left him just a shot behind new leader Justin Rose, tied with Young and Henley on 10-under.
When he hit a glorious draw with a long iron to 25 feet, set up a two-putt birdie at the eighth, McIlroy was tied with Young, just a shot behind Rose and right in the hunt again.
A birdie at the ninth would have left him tied for the lead with Rose, but he misread a six-footer and headed down the back nine just a shot behind with his destiny in the balance.
He grabbed his chance with both hands and heads to Aronimink for next month’s US PGA, looking for Major number seven and a place alongside Harry Vardon, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer in the list of the game’s greatest players.
If he pulls that off, only Tom Watson (8 Majors), Gary Player and Ben Hogan (9), Walter Hagen (11), Woods (15) and Nicklaus (18) would have won more than the young tyro from Co Down.
