Rory McIlroy holds on to win his second straight Masters

BREAKING NEWSApr. 12, 2026, 10:54 PM UTCGolfGolfRory McIlroy holds on to win his second straight MastersMcIlroy had a six-stroke lead after two rounds, but entered the final round in a tie for first place. On Sunday, he pulled away on the back nine for his second green jacket.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Rory McIlroy held off Scottie Scheffler and Justin Rose to win his second straight Masters on Sunday.Jared C. Tilton / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Rohan NadkarniRory McIlroy can breathe a sigh of relief.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.McIlroy won his second straight Masters Tournament on Sunday — joining Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo as the only golfers who’ve won the sport’s most prestigious tournament two years in a row. McIlroy led by six strokes after 36 holes, but entered Sunday tied for first after a disastrous third round. In danger of blowing the biggest two-round lead in Masters history, McIlroy rebounded under pressure, shooting a final-round 70 to secure his second green jacket. Scottie Scheffler finished in second. Cameron Young — who was in the final pairing with McIlroy — finished tied for third with three others, including last year’s runner-up Justin Rose. McIlroy was dominant to start at Augusta. Picking up where he left off in 2025 — when he defeated Rose in a playoff to win his first Masters — McIlroy was 12-under after two rounds, shooting a blistering 65 in the second round to open a six-stroke lead over the rest of the field. But he stumbled in the third, shooting a 1-over 73 to fall to 11-under and into a tie with Young for first place.Amid whispers McIlroy could repeat some of his worst losses at Augusta, he came back with a vengeance Sunday. He was brilliant as his final round went on, hitting three birdies between holes eight and 13 to give himself a cushion he would never relinquish down the stretch. McIlroy had a tortured c...