Augusta Masters, McIlroy grants encore and makes history

Rory McIlroy confirmed his dominance at the Masters Tournament, winning his second consecutive green jacket and bringing his total number of majors won in his career to six. The Northern Irishman thus joins an exclusive club, becoming the fourth player able to dominate at Augusta two years in a row, following in the footsteps of Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.

It was a success that was anything but easy, accruing at the end of an intense and eventful Sunday, with constant tilts at the top and an uncertain finish until the last putt on 18.

Starting paired with Cameron Young, McIlroy immediately felt the strain: a double bogey on 4 and a bogey on 6 set him back, while Young and especially Justin Rose (already his rival in the previous edition’s playoff) took turns at the lead. Rose himself, at 45, stroked the feat by building a two-shot margin thanks to a series of spectacular birdies.

The turning point, however, came at Amen Corner, the iconic heart of the course. Here McIlroy shifted gears with two decisive shots: a perfect tee shot at the 12th, stopped just two yards from the hole, and a drive of more than 320 yards at the 13th, then turned into birdie to stretch to a three-shot lead.

In the final round it was mostly a mental battle. World number one Scottie Scheffler tried to come back strongly (birdies at 15 and 16), reducing the gap to two shots. McIlroy responded with great solidity, however, saving valuable pars on 16 and 17 thanks to two excellent up-and-downs.

On the last hole, there was no shortage of thrills: drive ended in the woods to the right, bunker approach and a four-foot putt for bogey that, in spite of everything, handed him the title with a one-shot lead over Scheffler. Further behind were Rose, Young, Tyrrell Hatton and Russell Henley.