Rory McIlroy turns into the fourth participant after Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods to defend the US Masters title.
It got here by way of a one-shot lead, having been six photographs clear initially of the ultimate spherical.
The Northern Irishman received off to a sticky begin, dropping three photographs within the first six holes.
Nonetheless, he picked up the tempo with Birdies on the seventh and eighth holes to consolidate his place on the high of the leaderboard.
Amen Nook was when he actually began to place his foot on the fuel, with birdies on the twelfth, the place he landed an iron seven ft in need of the outlet, and stroked it in with sheer confidence.
On the thirteenth, he collected one other Birdie, by way of a powerful chip in from the again of the inexperienced.
Whereas the remainder of the pack had been starting to fade, he solidified his place, with Pars on the 14th, fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth.
And despite the fact that he bogeyed the ultimate gap, the work accomplished on Amen Nook, in addition to the earlier three rounds, was sufficient to see him over the road.
Following his magnificent efficiency, McIlroy analysed the 2 victories at Augusta and emphasised their significance.
“I believed it was so troublesome to win final yr due to attempting to win The Masters and the Grand Slam, then this yr I realised it’s simply actually troublesome to win The Masters,” “I attempted to persuade myself it was each.
Mcllroy: Sky Sports activities
Although it’s fairly troublesome to win one thing back-to-back, the one factor that occurs if you win it for the primary time, is that it takes the strain of profitable off your shoulders.
If you realize you’ve received it earlier than, it offers you further motivation to do it once more, and that’s what separates the nice from the greats of the game.
One other Missed Alternative For Rose
It was one other final-day catastrophe for Justin Rose, who was in competition after his front-nine efficiency within the remaining spherical that included 5 birdies.
Nonetheless, as he approached Amen Nook, two bogeys on the eleventh and twelfth had been the beginning of his downfall, and he missed a three-foot putt on the seventeenth, which all however ended his hopes of the Inexperienced Jacket.
It appears he has a spherical 4 back-nine illness at this event, as each time he has an opportunity to win, he stumbles on the final hurdle.
It’s all the time Amen nook that’s the catalyst to his spherical 4 meltdown, as a result of he opts for the protected choice as an alternative of entering into with an attacking mindset.
Maybe he wants extra readability in his stroke play, together with a little bit little bit of luck, like McIlroy had final yr.
If he can mix these issues collectively, a Inexperienced Jacket at Augusta isn’t far-off.
However by way of 2026, it was a Grasp’s that was dominated by McIlroy from begin to end.
For extra data on The Masters, go to World In Sport.
