McIlroy Relishes 'Incredible' Masters Victory

Rory McIlroy has expressed relief and delight after securing his second consecutive Masters title, overcoming a challenging final round to claim a one-shot victory over Scottie Scheffler at Augusta National. McIlroy, who became the fourth player in history to win back-to-back Masters, had built a record six-shot lead halfway through the tournament but saw his advantage dwindle to two shots behind Cameron Young during the final day. However, the world No 2 responded with four birdies to secure his sixth major title. 'I thought it was so difficult to win last year because of trying to win The Masters and the Grand Slam, then this year I realised it's just really difficult to win The Masters,' McIlroy said. He admitted that having a six-shot lead going into the weekend would have made it a 'bitter pill to swallow' if he hadn't managed to get over the finish line. McIlroy joins Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods as the only players to win The Masters in successive years. 'I don't make it easy!' McIlroy joked, reflecting on his tendency to make victories more challenging than they need to be. The Northern Irishman completed the third leg of the Grand Slam in 2014 but had 10 unsuccessful attempts to claim The Masters before finally breaking through in his 17th appearance, and now his 18th, at Augusta National.