Rory McIlroy makes history with a second-straight Masters championship

By Kyle Feldscher, Jacob Lev, CNN

(CNN) — Rory McIlroy held off a crowded field, his own erratic play and the weight of history to win the 2026 Masters, becoming only the fourth player in history to win two straight green jackets.

With his victory, McIlroy joins Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods as the only players to have won back-to-back titles at Augusta National – an even more exclusive club than the one he joined there last year when he won the career grand slam.

“I can’t believe I waited 17 years for my first green jacket and I get two in a row. It’s just sort of the way – I think all of my perseverance at this golf tournament over the years has really started to pay off,” McIlroy told CBS Sports after the win.

McIlroy started the tournament on fire, finishing Friday’s round at 11-under par and up six strokes, a historic halfway lead at Augusta National. But his wild driving eventually caught up to him on Saturday and the magic in his short game ran out, opening the door to a talented field that charged up the leaderboard and made Sunday a tense affair.

At one point on Sunday, McIlory trailed by multiple strokes after a double bogey on the fourth and another bogey on the sixth. Four different men held at least a share of the lead on Sunday in one of the most dramatic editions of a tournament known for tension.

But he found his footing at the best time, navigating the famous Amen Corner with aplomb to move to 13-under and grabbing a multiple stroke lead.

As world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler made his charge two groups ahead of him and familiar foil Justin Rose put him under pressure in the penultimate group, McIlroy stayed steady down the stretch.

At the same time, the rest of the field faltered. Rose went from the lead at the turn to fading in the back stretch, bogeying on 11, 12 and 17 to put his latest quest for an elusive green jacket to rest. Cameron Young, who started the day tied at the top of the field with McIlroy, had two front nine bogeys and then couldn’t get below par on the back nine – including a heartbreaking lip-out on 16 that would have put him two strokes back with two holes to play.

With the pressure at its peak, McIlroy found the relaxed mindset that he’d had earlier in the week when he talked about how his win in 2025 lifted a weight off his shoulders. He putted to within inches on 16, saving par after his tee shot flew over the green. On 17, he chipped to tap-in range again, saving another par to keep his lead at two strokes with one hole to play.

McIlroy spoke all week about the comfort he feels knowing that the weight on his shoulders — the career grand slam and a first Masters title — was removed last year.

His experience on 18, then, perhaps would have put an almost soul-crushing amount of weight on McIlroy’s shoulders in past years. His drive ended up so far right that he was actually closer to hole No. 10 than 18, and his shot off the pine straw ended up in a greenside bunker.

He popped out of the sand to putt, needing to hole in two shots to win the title. Putt one stopped an inch away. Putt two secured the green jacket.

After sinking the putt, McIlroy let out a loud scream and hugged his caddie, Harry Diamond, before shaking Young’s hand. The 36-year-old then went to embrace his wife Erica and daughter Poppy.

“It was a tough weekend. I did the bulk of my work on Thursday and Friday. But, just so happy to hang in there and get the job done,” McIlroy said after.

McIlroy fought off Scheffler, who finished in second at 11-under while there was a four-way tie for third including Young, Rose, Tyrrell Hatton and Russell Henley.

The Northern Irishmen called it “incredible” that his mother and father were able to be in Augusta to witness the win.

“It’s the second major that my moms been at – second major win,” McIlroy added.

“There was a piece of them that didn’t want to come this year because they thought, ‘Well, we didn’t come last year, maybe that was the reason.’ I am so glad they got to experience this today. I am gonna – we are all going to have a great time tonight.”

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

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