McIlroy repeats as Masters champion for sixth major title

After the second round of the Masters Rory McIlroy seemed to have it in the bag.

Midway through Sunday’s final round it appeared he had lost it, but in the end he became the first repeat winner since 2002 when Tiger Woods defended his title.

The Irishman was far from the form he displayed the first two rounds, but a one-under par was good enough to take him to 12-under for the tournament and give him victory by one shot from Scottie Scheffler, who carded a 68 on the day.

There was heartache – yet again – for Justin Rose as the South African-born player looked at one stage to be the man to beat having opened a two-shot lead over McIlroy. Fittingly, it was Amen corner where it all went wrong for Rose as he bogeyed 11th and the 12th, while McIlroy birdied the 12th for a three-shot swing.

After that, there was no coming back for Rose as McIlroy confidently played towards his second Green Jacket. He could even afford to miss his parr put on the 18th, but left himself with a one-footer to win.

Earlier, the only South African who made it into the weekend, Charl Schwartzel, added yet another disappointing round to his 2026 Masters tournament. Schwartzel, who won the Green Jacket in 2011, finished three-over for the day and 12-over for the tournament.

The 41-year-old, who went into the round in last position, had the worst possible start, going four-shots over par for the first five holes.

Defending champion McIlroy collected his sixth major and become the fourth repeat winner at Augusta.

World number two McIlroy, who let a six-shot advantage slip on Saturday and started the final round level with playing partner Cameron Young and one ahead of Sam Burns, closed with a one-under-par 71.

With victory secured, McIlroy looked to the blue Georgia skies and screamed before hugging his caddie Harry Diamond.

Scheffler, a four-time major champion who has won two of the last four Masters and started the day four shots back, nearly got to within one of McIlroy late on but his bid for a third consecutive birdie fell short when his putt at the 17th stopped just beside the hole.

LIV Golf’s Tyrrell Hatton (66), birthday boy Russell Henley (68), 2025 Masters runner-up Rose (70) and Young (73) finished in a share of third place.

Rose, who left the Masters empty-handed a year ago after losing to McIlroy in a playoff for his third runner-up finish, was playing in the third-to-last group and had a one-shot lead through 10 holes before watching it disappear at Amen Corner.

McIlroy, now up by one, sensed the opportunity and put his foot on the gas as he stuffed his tee shot at the par-three 12th to seven feet for a birdie moments before Rose three-putted from 30 feet at the 13th where he had an eagle look.

From there, McIlroy mostly spared himself the topsy-turvy finish he had to endure in the final round last year as he rolled in an 11-foot birdie to go three clear moments after Scheffler got to within two after a birdie on the 15th.

With victory in sight, McIlroy caught a break at the par-five 15th where his third shot into the green was just enough to avoid the water guarding the front of the putting surface, delivered a brilliant and pressure-packed up-and-down from behind the green at the par-three 16th and then bogeyed the last after an errant tee shot and leaving his second shot in a bunker.

McIlroy struggled with his putting early on and fell two shots behind Young after a costly double bogey at the par-three fourth, where he missed the green off the tee and then three-putted from nine feet.

He made bogey two holes later after missing another par-three green but made two birdies before the turn to stay firmly in the mix going into the second nine where the tournament hung in the balance.