Rory McIlroy reflected on his record-breaking Masters win, admitting it would have been tough to swallow if he hadn't converted his halfway lead into a title. McIlroy became the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters, following his dramatic playoff win over Justin Rose last year. He built a six-shot lead, the largest in Masters history, but fell behind on the final day before finding four birdies to secure his sixth major title.
'I thought it was so difficult to win last year, and this year I realized it's just really difficult to win The Masters,' McIlroy said. He join Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods as the only players to win The Masters in successive years. McIlroy started the final round tied for the lead but lost ground with a birdie and a double-bogey. He regained his composure, adding back-to-back birdies to put him three ahead with five to play, and a one-under 71 was enough to hold off Scottie Scheffler's charge.
'I don't make it easy!' McIlroy admitted, acknowledging the challenges of winning golf tournaments, especially at Augusta National. McIlroy completed the third leg of the Grand Slam in 2014 and had 10 unsuccessful attempts to claim The Masters before winning his first Green Jacket last year.
He now claims his second Green Jacket in his 18th appearance at Augusta National. 'I just can't believe I waited 17 years to get one Green Jacket and I get two in a row,' McIlroy added, reflecting on his perseverance at the tournament.