Following his record-breaking halfway lead at The Masters, Rory McIlroy confessed that failing to secure a historic title defence at Augusta National would have been a difficult outcome to accept. McIlroy became the fourth player in history to achieve back-to-back Masters wins, following his dramatic play-off victory over Justin Rose the previous year.
The world No 2 had built a six-shot halfway lead, the largest in Masters history, but found himself two shots behind playing partner Cameron Young during the final day after dropping three shots in a two-hole stretch. McIlroy responded with four birdies over the remainder of his round and a final-hole bogey to claim his sixth major title. He joins Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods as the only players to win The Masters in successive years.
McIlroy acknowledged that his six-shot lead going into the weekend made the prospect of not winning a 'bitter pill to swallow.' Despite this, he expressed his delight at being able to secure the victory, stating, 'I don't make it easy!' McIlroy started the final round tied for the lead but lost ground after a birdie at the third, followed by a three-putt double-bogey at the par-three next and a dropped shot at the fifth. He regained his lead with 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 Scottie Scheffler's weekend charge.
McIlroy completed the third leg of the Grand Slam in 2014 but had 10 unsuccessful attempts to claim The Masters before his 17th and 18th appearances at Augusta National. He reflected on his perseverance, saying, 'I just can't believe I waited 17 years to get one Green Jacket and I get two in a row.' The PGA Tour heads to South Carolina for the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head Island, while the next men's major is the PGA Championship from May 14-17, held at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania.