On Sunday, Apr. 12, Rory McIlroy won his second Masters Tournament in a row, cementing himself as one of the greatest to play the game. After finally breaking through last year to complete the career grand slam, Mcilroy returned to Augusta National Golf Club this year with the weight off of his shoulders.
McIlroy finished the tournament at -14, holding off a stacked leaderboard. Heading into the weekend, Rory had a 6 stroke lead on the rest of the field. However, the final rounds tightened as Justin Rose, Cameron Young, and Scottie Scheffler all made strong pushes. Rose surged with multiple birdies and even took the lead at a point. Young and Scheffler also came into contention, putting pressure on the lead. However, McIlroy did enough to hold off the late charges and secure the victory.
During the tournament, McIlroy hit only 55% of fairways which ranked among the bottom 8 players in the field. He also hit 66% of greens in regulation, which ranked 23rd. On top of that, he averaged around 1.6 putts per hole despite the relentless greens. Throughout the tournament, McIlroy recorded 24 birdies compared to just 8 bogeys, according to ESPN.
Unlike previous appearances at Augusta, where inconsistency and poor finishes impacted his results, McIlroy remained in control throughout most of the tournament despite his struggles. He remained near the top of the leaderboard from the opening round and held his lead through the final round, shooting 67-65-73-71 over the four rounds.
With this victory, McIlroy became one of four players to win consecutive Masters titles, joining notable names such as Tiger Woods (2001-2002), Jack Nicklaus (1965-1966), and Nick Faldo (1989-1990).
In addition to his individual success, McIlroy has also been a key contributor on the international stage. He won his 6th Ryder Cup title this past September, playing a key role in Europe’s victory over the United States.
This second Masters victory adds to an already accomplished resume that includes wins in the U.S. Open (2011), The Open Championship (2014), and the PGA Championship (2012, 2014). With now six major titles and 30 wins on the PGA Tour, McIlroy continues to build a career that places him in elite company in this era of golf.
