Rory McIlroy has become the first golfer to win back-to-back Masters titles since Tiger Woods, after a dramatic Sunday at Augusta National. McIlroy initially built a six-stroke lead halfway through the tournament but found himself two strokes behind early in the final round. However, he responded with consecutive birdies and briefly took a three-stroke lead, only to see Justin Rose and Scottie Scheffler close the gap and set up a thrilling finish. McIlroy avoided a repeat of last year's late stumble and took a two-stroke lead to the final hole, closing out the win with a two-putt bogey.
With this victory, McIlroy joins Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, and Woods as the only golfers to win consecutive Masters titles, and he becomes the 15th man in history to claim six or more major titles. McIlroy's win was marked by a series of dramatic twists and turns, including a sublime up and down from the greenside bunker and a brilliantly-judged two-putt from off the back of the 13th green. In the end, McIlroy posted a one-under 71 to finish on 12 under, one stroke ahead of Scheffler. Tyrrell Hatton's final-round 66 put him in third place alongside Rose, Young, and Russell Henley.
McIlroy's perseverance at the tournament paid off, and he was overjoyed to have won his second consecutive Masters title, saying, 'I just can't believe I waited 17 years to get one Green Jacket and I get two in a row.'