Rory McIlroy won the 2026 Masters Tournament on Sunday, defending his title at Augusta National with a 12-under-par total of 276 to beat Scottie Scheffler by one stroke.
Why it matters: McIlroy became only the fourth golfer in history to win consecutive green jackets. Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods are the only others to achieve the feat, placing the 37-year-old Northern Irishman in the most exclusive company the sport has to offer.
A nervy finish
McIlroy held a six-shot lead at the halfway point but saw the gap shrink dramatically over the weekend. Scheffler mounted a sustained challenge on Sunday, drawing level on the back nine before McIlroy regained composure down the stretch.
The decisive moment came at the par-5 15th, where McIlroy made birdie while Scheffler could manage only par. McIlroy played the final three holes in even par to seal the one-shot victory.
The payout
McIlroy earned $4.5 million from the tournament’s $22.5 million purse. He also collected 750 FedExCup points, strengthening his position at the top of the season-long standings.
Historical context
The victory is McIlroy’s sixth major championship overall. He first won the Masters in 2025, ending a decade-long pursuit of the green jacket that had become one of golf’s most discussed narratives. His back-to-back wins now shift the conversation from whether he could win Augusta to whether he can challenge Woods’s record of five green jackets.