Rory McIlroy has done the unthinkable. The Northern Irish golf legend claimed his second consecutive Masters title at Augusta National, shooting a final round 69 to finish at 12-under par and beat world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler by one shot. In doing so, McIlroy joined Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods as the only players in the tournament’s 90-year history to win back-to-back green jackets joining elite company no European had ever reached before. McIlroy coughed up a six-shot lead over the weekend, found himself two shots behind with nine holes to play, and then delivered the round of his life when it mattered most. A bold birdie over Rae’s Creek at the 12th, followed by a 350-yard drive at the par-5 13th that set up another birdie to take control for good. “In golf you really never know, so much can happen,” McIlroy said.
But the moment that stopped the world wasn’t on the leaderboard, it was on the 18th green. Walking off Augusta National with his second green jacket and his sixth major title, McIlroy immediately gestured to his 5-year-old daughter Poppy to duck under the ropes, scooping her into a hug before embracing his wife Erica and his parents Rosie and Gerry McIlroy, who hadn’t been at Augusta last year and had to be convinced to come this time. “My mom and dad, they weren’t here last year to celebrate with us,” McIlroy said. “I’m so glad we proved them wrong.” He now stands alone at the intersection of three elite records — six majors, career Grand Slam, and back-to-back Masters. And he says he isn’t done yet.
