Rory McIlroy acknowledged that failing to convert his record-breaking halfway lead into a title defence at The Masters would have been a tough outcome to accept. McIlroy made history by becoming the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters titles, following his dramatic playoff victory over Justin Rose last year.
He achieved this feat by securing a one-shot win over Scottie Scheffler on Sunday. McIlroy had built a six-shot lead at the halfway point, the largest 36-hole advantage in Masters history, but found himself two shots behind Cameron Young during the final day after dropping three shots in a two-hole stretch. However, McIlroy responded with four birdies over the remainder of his round and a final-hole bogey to claim his sixth major title. He joins an elite group of players, including Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods, who have won The Masters in successive years.
McIlroy expressed his delight at winning, stating, '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.' He added, 'Having a six-shot lead going into the weekend, it would have been a bitter pill to swallow if I wasn't able to get myself over the finish line.' McIlroy started the final round tied for the lead but lost ground after a birdie at the third was followed by a three-putt double-bogey at the par-three next and a dropped shot at the fifth. Despite this, he made successive gains from the sixth and added back-to-back birdies from the 12th, putting him three ahead with five to play. A one-under 71 was enough to hold off Scheffler's charge.
McIlroy admitted, 'I don't make it easy!' and acknowledged that winning golf tournaments, especially at Augusta National, is challenging. He completed the third leg of the Grand Slam in 2014 but had 10 unsuccessful attempts to claim The Masters before winning his first title.
McIlroy now has two Green Jackets, winning in his 17th and 18th appearances at Augusta National. He reflected, 'I just can't believe I waited 17 years to get one Green Jacket and I get two in a row.' McIlroy's perseverance at the tournament has paid off, and he looks forward to the next challenge.