McIlroy Makes History with Thrilling Masters Victory

Rory McIlroy etched his name into the history books with a successful title defense at The Masters, navigating a roller-coaster Sunday to emerge victorious at Augusta National. McIlroy had set the tone with the largest 36-hole lead in tournament history, but his advantage evaporated as he slipped into a share of the lead heading into the final day. Undeterred, McIlroy rallied from two strokes behind to produce another stunning success. The world No 2 trailed his playing partner Cameron Young and Justin Rose at various points during the final round, but McIlroy's back-to-back birdies from the seventh hole got him back on track. He added further birdies around Amen Corner to move three ahead with five holes to play, before closing out an impressive victory despite bogeying his final hole for the second successive year. The win saw McIlroy match Sir Nick Faldo's tally of six major titles, making him just the fourth player to win consecutive editions of The Masters, following in the footsteps of Jack Nicklaus, Faldo, and Tiger Woods. 'I cant believe I waited 17 years to get one Green Jacket and I get two in a row,' McIlroy said. 'I think all of my perseverance at this golf tournament over the years has really started to pay off. It was a tough weekend. I did the bulk of my work on Thursday and Friday. But just so, so happy to hang in there and get the job done.' McIlroy's final-round 71 included five birdies, a bogey, and a double-bogey, with numerous players in contention during a thrilling major Sunday. Here's a hole-by-hole breakdown of McIlroy's dramatic victory...