Rory McIlroy Wins Masters Again, Holds Off Scottie Scheffler by 1 Shot

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland delivered a commanding performance to win the Masters Tournament, which had a total purse of $22.5 million.

McIlroy shot a 1-under 71 in the final round Sunday (Korean time) at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, with five birdies, two bogeys and one double bogey. He finished at 12-under 276, holding off Scottie Scheffler of the United States by one shot to earn the $4.5 million winner’s check (about 6.6 billion won).

Augusta National is known for making title defenses difficult. McIlroy’s victory marked the fourth successful title defense in Masters history, following Jack Nicklaus (1965-1966), Nick Faldo (1989-1990) and Tiger Woods (2001-2002). McIlroy became the first player since Woods to win back-to-back green jackets, ending a 24-year gap.

He also led from the opening round without surrendering the top spot, completing a wire-to-wire win. Over the past 45 years, only three others have done that at the Masters: Trevor Immelman in 2008, Jordan Spieth in 2015 and Dustin Johnson in 2020. The win was McIlroy’s first of the season and the 30th of his PGA Tour career.
  The repeat win also added to McIlroy’s major championship record. After capturing his first major at the 2011 U.S. Open, he won the PGA Championship in 2012 and then the Open Championship and PGA Championship in 2014. The Masters had long eluded him, but he finally won the green jacket last year to become the sixth player in golf history to complete the career Grand Slam. With this victory, his major total rose to six.

McIlroy said the challenge felt different this year.

"Last year, I thought this tournament was especially hard because I had to complete the career Grand Slam at the Masters," he said at a news conference. "But this year I realized the Masters itself is an incredibly hard tournament to win."

He added, "Last year my parents couldn’t come, and I thought about it several times during the round. But I kept telling myself, ‘Not yet.’ This year I persuaded them to come, and I’m happy we could share this joy."

McIlroy credited mental toughness under pressure and a shift in strategy, particularly on the demanding stretch known as Amen Corner, holes 11 through 13. "In the past I played defensively at Amen Corner and failed, but this time I played aggressively and it worked," he said. After losing three shots there in the third round, he steadied himself with a par at No. 11 in the final round, then made back-to-back birdies at Nos. 12 and 13 to regain momentum.

The closing hole provided the most tense moment. Leading by two, McIlroy drove into the woods at the par-4 18th. He recovered with a calm bunker save and a bogey putt to protect the title. "After I hit the tee shot on 18, the process of finding the ball was the most nerve-racking," he said. "When the par putt stopped right next to the hole, I saw my family behind the green. I thought, ‘I did it again.’ I didn’t feel as emotional as last year, but I felt even happier."
  The win also eased concerns about his health. McIlroy withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational with back pain after tying for second at the Genesis Invitational in February. He then finished tied for 46th at The Players Championship.

He said he built his form for the Masters with careful preparation and advice from Nicklaus. "I talk a lot with Jack Nicklaus every year," McIlroy said. "Nicklaus advised that for majors, it’s important to arrive early and not just look around the course, but go out with one ball and actually play and practice scoring." McIlroy said he practiced for four days using only one ball while keeping score.

Even after the milestone, McIlroy said he is not finished. "Last year I thought completing the Grand Slam was the end of the goal, but now it feels like part of the journey," he said. "I still have goals I want to achieve. It feels different from last year. I don’t have a specific goal set, but I don’t want to stop here."



* This article has been translated by AI.

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