Rory McIlroy overcame a slow start and a suspenseful finish Sunday to win his second consecutive Masters Tournament by one shot over Scottie Scheffler.
“I just can’t believe I waited 17 years to get one green jacket, and I get two in a row,” McIlroy said after the win. “It’s just sort of the way -- I don’t know. I think all of my perseverance at this golf tournament over the years has really started to pay off. It was a tough weekend. I did the bulk of my work on Thursday and Friday. But just so, so happy to hang in there and get the job done.”
McIlroy joined Jack Nicklaus (1965, ‘66), Nick Faldo, (1989, ’90) and Tiger Woods (2001, ’02) as the only players to successfully defend titles at Augusta National Golf Club.
A year after completing the career Grand Slam, McIlroy shot 1-under 71 to finish at 12 under. In typical McIlroy fashion, the day included doses of brilliance and bewilderment.
The latter was on display on the 72nd hole, where he needed only bogey to win and sliced his tee shot right of right on the par-4 18th. Hitting 8-iron off the pine straw form 179 yards, McIlroy’s second shot sailed over the trees and into the front greenside bunker.
From a slightly buried lie, McIlroy blasted out to 12 feet from the hole. Two putts later, he was STILL the reigning Masters champion. McIlroy didn’t drop to his knees this year, but he again raised his arms in triumph and yelled to the heavens with exhaustion.
“Good things come to those who wait maybe,” McIlroy said. “Just keep going. I find myself in a very similar position today to where I was in the last round last year, two or three behind, but I played solid golf after that.”
It was McIlroy’s sixth major victory, tying him with Nick Faldo for the most by any European in the modern era.
World No. 1 and two-time Masters champion Scheffler finished alone in second place at 11 under, courtesy a 65-68, bogey-free weekend. Tyrrell Hatton (66), Russell Henley (68), Justin Rose (70) and Cameron Young (73) tied for third at 10 under.
Similarly to last year, when he won in a playoff over Rose, it wasn’t an easy glide into the green jacket.
McIlroy blew a record six-stroke lead at the midway point and then fell two down early in the final round thanks to a three-putt double bogey (from 10 feet) at the par-3 fourth and a bogey at the par-3 sixth.
Playing competitor and Players champion Young held the outright lead on the first nine but made three bogeys in a four-hole stretch around the turn. That’s where McIlroy found his footing.
McIlroy laced a drive on the par-4 seventh and made birdie. He added another at the par-5 eighth. At that point, McIlroy had trimmed a two-shot deficit to Rose – who birdied Nos. 5, 7, 8 and 9 – to just one.
Rose, a three-time Masters runner-up, came unraveled in a short stretch on the second nine. His approach went wide right at the par-4 11th and he made bogey. He then missed the green long and left on the par-3 12th and stubbed his chip shot for another bogey.
That dropped Rose to 10 under, one back of McIlroy.
McIlroy never again shared the top spot, let alone trailed.
He stuffed his tee shot on the 12th to 7 feet and made birdie. He then birdied the par-5 13th to reach 13 under, three clear of second place.
“I think the tee shot on 12 and then the tee shot on 13, just to give me the option to go for the green in two. I struggled with that tee shot all week. I was up in the pine straw there one too many times, and I made a really good committed swing off the 13th tee, and that enabled me to go for the green in two. To make a birdie there following the birdie on 12, that was massive,” McIlroy said.
One of those knotted at 10 under was Scheffler, who ended an 11-hole stretch of pars with a birdie at the par-5 15th. He followed that with a birdie at the par-3 16th to get within two.
Likely needing a Charl Schwartzel-like finish (birdies on the final four holes to win), Scheffler had 18 feet for birdie at the par-4 17th. With a distance and camera angle reminiscent to that of Jack Nicklaus’ famous putt 40 years ago, and with the patrons rising to their feet, Scheffler’s birdie effort died on the left edge. The par kept him two back. He parred the last to finish at 11 under.
Scheffler, who was 12 back entering the weekend, shot 65-68 over his final 36 holes with 11 birdies and no bogeys.
For McIlroy, it was a matter of showing that kind of consistency coming home. He safely parred the 14th but nearly found the water fronting the par-5 15th on his third shot, reviving memories of his wedge shot into the 13th a year ago. But this ball stayed dry and McIlroy made par.
His tee shot on the par-3 16th traveled long and into the shallow valley behind the green. Using putter for his second, he navigated the slopes to perfection, allowing for a tap-in par.
Two holes to go ... two-shot lead ... for two-in-a-row.
McIlroy missed the green right at the par-4 17th. He didn’t chip in like he did on Friday but, again, he nestled his third up nicely for an easy par.
One hole.
And what a hole it was. And what a win it was. And what a legend McIlroy is.
