Rory Mcilroy Shakes Off Setbacks, Wins Rare Back-to-back Masters Titles

AUGUSTA, Ga. — From wire-to-wire to a harrowing high-wire act.

That beautiful overmuch describes Rory McIlroy’s Masters.

He became nan 4th man to triumph back-to-back greenish jackets Sunday, surviving immoderate shaky play and a melodramatic surge by immoderate of nan champion players successful nan world.

With Scottie Scheffler, Justin Rose and a big of others connected his heels, McIlroy steadied himself and pulled distant down nan stretch.

But location was play moreover connected nan par-4 18th hole. Needling only a bogey to win, McIlroy deed his tee changeable heavy into nan trees connected nan right. He deed a high, right-to-left changeable retired of nan conifer straw into nan beforehand near bunker. Two putts later and a 2nd overgarment was his, a one-shot triumph complete Sheffler.

A twelvemonth ago, McIlroy hit Rose successful a sudden-death playoff astatine Augusta to complete a profession expansive slam.

In winning consecutive Masters — a feat not accomplished since Tiger Woods did it successful 2002 — McIlroy joins Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods successful 1 of golf’s astir exclusive fraternities.

After 2 rounds it didn’t look nan play would beryllium truthful difficult. McIlroy had built a six-shot lead, nan largest 36-hole advantage successful Masters history. But he was complete par Saturday while everyone other connected nan leaderboard was shooting successful nan 60s, and was nan only subordinate connected nan scope that evening, hitting balls arsenic nan sun went down.

He started Sunday pinch a sputter, including a double bogey connected nan par-3 4th and a bogey soon after.

Rory McIlroy celebrates arsenic crowd roars aft he won nan Masters astatine Augusta National Golf Club connected Sunday.

(Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)

Fifteen years ago, successful an epic unraveling, McIlroy saw a four-shot Sunday lead evaporate pinch a illness astatine Amen Corner — triple bogey, bogey, double bogey connected holes 11, 12 and 13.

On Sunday, he played those 3 holes par, par, birdie, going immoderate region toward exorcising nan demons of 2011.

McIlroy and Cameron Young were nan last pairing Sunday, tied astatine 11 under. Young birdied nan 2nd spread but cooled and had bogeys connected 6, 7 and 9.

Rose, angling for his first greenish jacket, had nan lead making nan move Sunday but couldn’t clasp connected and recorded bogeys connected 11, 12 and 17. He headed to nan clubhouse tied for third, his 5th top-five decorativeness astatine nan Masters.

Scheffler, classed No. 1 successful nan world, flirted pinch missing nan trim aft opening pinch a 70 and 74. But he changeable bogey-free rounds of 65 and 68 connected nan weekend, becoming nan first subordinate astatine nan Masters since 1942 to play each spread connected Saturday and Sunday astatine par aliases better.

Russell Henley, playing connected his birthday, collected his 5th top-10 decorativeness successful his past 9 majors.

“I felt for illustration I handled nan unit well, handled nan conditions well,” Henley said. “It was tricky retired there. Just deed it great. Really thankful for a bully finish.”

Morikawa, dealing pinch a backmost wounded that affected his assurance successful his legs, sewage basking connected nan 2nd 9 and tore disconnected 5 birdies successful a row. He vanished astatine 9 under.

“This is going to beryllium 1 of nan champion tournaments forever,” Morikawa said. “I’m going to retrieve this 1 for galore reasons, but much really beardown nan mind is, to beryllium capable to spell retired and person yourself that everything is going to beryllium okay.”

The biggest implosion of nan time came from Haotong Li, who was 7 nether aft 3 rounds. He opened Sunday pinch a bogey, past had 3 bogeys successful a statement connected 5, 6 and 7. But that wasn’t nan worst of it.

Li took a triple-bogey six connected No. 12, and past nan wheels really came off. He had a 10 — a quintuple bogey — connected nan 13th, that included a 2nd changeable into nan bushes, and a 3rd changeable that stayed successful there, and later a patient putt from nan fringe that blew past nan spread and into nan water. It was a nightmare.