Rory McIlroy joined extra elite firm Sunday on the Masters when he pulled away with a pair of birdies round Amen Nook and, as normal, saved a bit of drama for the tip earlier than taking his place in Augusta Nationwide historical past as solely the fourth back-to-back champion.
In a closing spherical the place three gamers had a two-shot lead, McIlroy seized management for good with a daring shot over Rae’s Creek to 7 toes for birdie on the par-3 twelfth. Then he blistered a 350-yard drive on the par-5 thirteenth that arrange one other birdie to maneuver three photographs forward.
There have been just a few dicey moments, together with a shot over the par-3 sixteenth inexperienced that required him to make use of the slope to get in shut for par, and a wild drive on the 18th that wound up nearer to the tenth fairway. He tapped in for bogey and a 1-under 71 for a one-shot victory over Scottie Scheffler.
A 12 months in the past, his playoff victory over Justin Rose made McIlroy solely the sixth participant with the profession Grand Slam. With one other inexperienced jacket, McIlroy joined Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus as the one repeat winners of the Masters.
“A number of guys made a run, however nothing like Justin final 12 months with that 66,” McIlroy stated. “Some good play by me, and happily, some guys did not come after me this 12 months.”
McIlroy stood tall when he tapped within the closing putt to complete at 12-under 276. There was no aid like final 12 months of going 17 years attempting to win the Masters. This was pure pleasure.
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It was extra heartache for Rose, and frustration for the others who had an opportunity.
Rose had a two-shot lead that evaporated round Amen Nook with two bogeys and a three-putt par. He could not make up sufficient floor the remainder of the way in which and needed to accept a 3rd shut name on the Masters.
Cameron Younger misplaced his two-shot lead a lot earlier with an extended three-putt bogey on the par-3 sixth and taking bogey on the subsequent gap when he hit wedge from the green right into a bunker. One shot behind going to the again 9, Younger closed with 9 straight pars.
As for Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 participant was in place to shatter the Masters file with the biggest 36-hole comeback in historical past. He was 12 behind going into the weekend. He was two photographs behind as he approached the flip. However he ran off 11 straight pars – that wasn’t going to chop it throughout a closing spherical with accessible pins to create pleasure.
Scheffler needed to accept his third runner-up end within the majors to go together with 4 titles. His 65-68 weekend made him the primary participant since 1942 to go bogey-free on the weekend at Augusta.
“I put up a great battle so as to give myself an opportunity,” Scheffler stated.
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Rose, at age 45, attempting to change into the second-oldest Masters champion behind Jack Nicklaus (46) in 1986, made it really feel as if this was going to be his time. He made a most inconceivable birdie with a shot out of the bushes to a foot on the seventh. That was the beginning of three straight birdies to shut out the entrance 9 and provides him the lead.
However his strategy to the eleventh was effectively to the fitting and he failed to save lots of par. His tee shot on the twelfth was lengthy, and his delicate chip did not attain the inexperienced, main to a different bogey. After which his 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 thirteenth ran 8 toes by the outlet and he missed the birdie putt.
“Probability that obtained away,” Rose stated. “I used to be in no way free and clear and was nowhere sort of near having the job carried out, however I used to be proper in place. … I used to be actually in management. And the mentality was to run by the end line, not simply attempt to get it carried out.
“I used to be enjoying nice, however simply momentum shifted for me across the Amen Nook.”
On the finish it was a now acquainted champion, McIlroy, as soon as suffering from his chase for the inexperienced jacket and now a two-time winner whose love for the Masters solely deepens.
He was so ecstatic a 12 months in the past that he requested the media when it was over, “What are we going to speak about subsequent 12 months?” Now the subject is straightforward. Nobody has ever received three in a row.
