2026 Masters highlights: Key moments from Rory McIlroy’s championship victory at Augusta

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Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, holds the trophy after winning the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Augusta, Ga.(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hold up the trophy after winning the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Augusta, Ga.(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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McIlroy’s green jacket for this win won’t be a newly tailored coat.

He was presented the same jacket that he received for last year’s win.

Two titles, one coat.

“It still fits, which is nice,” McIlroy said as Ridley helped him put it on.

McIlroy teared up when talking about his parents, Gerry and Rosie, who were on hand to witness his second Masters championship after staying back in Northern Ireland for last year’s victory.

“I had to convince them to come because they thought the reason I won (last year) was because they weren’t here,” McIlroy joked.

He went on to say, “You’re the most wonderful parents and if I can be half the parent to (daughter) Poppy I know I have done a good job.”

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Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hugs his father Gerry McIlroy after winning the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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From left; Dad Gerry McIlroy, mother Rosie McIlroy, Rory McIlroy, daughter Poppy, and wife Erica Stoll pose with the trophy after the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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In a post on his social media site as he flew back to Washington from Florida on Sunday night, President Donald Trump wrote, “Congratulations to Rory McIlroy on another Great Championship, The Masters!”

Trump said McIlroy “performed tremendously under intense pressure, something which few people would be able to even think about doing.”

That was the question for so many of McIlroy’s appearances at the Masters.

Not anymore.

Nowadays, the annual “will he do it” seems like a distant memory.

“I just can’t believe I waited 17 years to get one green jacket, and then I get two in a row,” McIlroy said before Masters chairman Fred Ridley put the green jacket on him.

Jake Knapp, Max Homa and Sam Burns punched their tickets into the next Masters by virtue of finishing in the top 12 (including ties).

There were 17 players who officially qualified because of ties, although players like McIlroy, Scheffler, and Patrick Reed were already guaranteed a spot because of their past wins at the Masters.

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Jake Knapp watches his putt on the 18th hole during the final round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Sam Burns hits his tee shot on the ninth hole during the third round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Scottie Scheffler hits from the fairway on the second hole during the final round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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Patrick Reed walks to the tee on the 14th hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Max Homa watches his tee shot on the fourth hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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McIlroy is just the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters.

Woods (2001-02), Jack Nicklaus (1965-66) and Nick Faldo (1989-90) are the other repeat champions.

After a slow start, McIlroy played the final 12 holes in 3-under par to finish with a one-stroke victory over Scheffler to earn his second green jacket and a $4.5 million prize.

After surrendering all of his six-shot 36-hole lead on Saturday, McIlroy started the final round by playing the first six holes in 3 over. He turned things around on the seventh hole when he hit his iron to 7 feet.

McIlroy was strong until the 18th hole, when his tee shot found the woods. But he managed to make bogey to seal the win.

▶ Here’s the final leaderboard

McIlroy has done it.

After squandering a six-shot lead in the third round, the 36-year-old righted his play and fought back from a slow start Sunday to win the Masters and become the first back-to-back winner at Augusta National since Tiger Woods did it in 2001-02.

McIlroy has a way of making things interesting.

He stepped to the 18th tee with a two-shot lead only to send his tee shot into the trees on the right side of the fairway. McIlroy is at 13 under; Scheffler is in the clubhouse at 11 under. Young is at 10 under and would need a birdie to have a chance.

That would be Masters chairman Fred Ridley.

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Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley puts the green Jacket on Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, after the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley, left, and Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hold the trophy after the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Augusta, Ga.( (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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The Masters has a tradition of the previous year’s champion congratulating their successor by helping them put on the green jacket.

McIlroy, last year’s winner, would be assisted by Ridley.

Scheffler is in the clubhouse at 11-under par, while McIlroy is out on the course with a two-shot lead and two to play.

Scheffler will rue the 11 straight pars he made during the middle portion of his round, when even a couple of birdies would have thrust him into contention. He finally made one at the 15th and another at the 16th, but two straight pars coming in left him with a score of 277.

McIlroy is at 13 under and holds a two-shot lead over Scheffler and Rose with two holes left to play.

Li started the day in contention.

He ended it with an 80, finishing the tournament at 1 over.

Li’s forgettable last round at Augusta National included a quintuple bogey that followed a triple bogey at the par-3 12th, sending him from 7 under to 1 over in a span of two holes.

Scheffler has made back-to-back birdies at 15 and 16 to move two shots behind leader McIlroy.

Now, Scheffler can only hope that McIlroy will make mistakes over the final four holes.

If McIlroy is able to hang on and win his second consecutive Masters, he’ll walk away with a cool $4.5 million.

That’s up from the $4.2 million he won last year.

The Masters announced its overall prize purse for this year’s championship at $22.5 million. That’s the highest payout of golf’s four majors.

The other three major tournaments have not announced prize funds for this year. In 2025, the PGA Championship was $19 million, the British Open was $17 million and the U.S. Open was $21.5 million.

The Masters’ prize payout was $21 million in 2025.

McIlroy is now firmly in charge at the Masters.

McIlroy escaped Amen Corner with a three-shot lead over the rest of the field at 13 under as he looks to become just the fourth player ever to repeat at the Masters — and the first to do it since Tiger Woods 24 years ago.

Five players are three shots back at 10 under, including Scheffler.

McIlroy struggled early in the round and fell back into a tie for fourth after playing the first six holes in 2-over par. But he has played the last seven holes in 4-under par to take control while others have faltered down the stretch.

Scheffler has ended his streak of pars in the most improbable of ways, making birdie at the par-5 15th to bring him to 10 under and within three of the lead.

Scheffler hit his tee shot into the pines right of the fairway, then tried to punch out but clipped another branch. That left him with a look at the green, but he had to keep his approach shot below even more branches — which he did. Then, he rolled in a long putt for his first birdie since the third hole.

It might be too little, too late. McIlroy birdied the par-5 13th just seconds later to reach 13 under.

▶ Here’s the leaderboard

McIlroy’s tee shot at the par-3 12th hole landed 7 feet from the hole, setting up a birdie to give him a two-shot lead at the Masters.

McIlroy is at 12 under.

There are still four players within two shots of the lead including Young, Rose, Henley and Hatton, who are all at 10 under.

Rose had a chance at eagle on No. 13, but blew the putt past the hole. He then missed the comeback putt for birdie.

Li managed to make a 10 on the par-5 13th from the middle of the fairway, much to the consternation of Scheffler.

Li’s second shot appeared to ricochet off a rock deep into the bushes across Rae’s Creek, and it took him awhile to find his ball. Scheffler waited in the fairway.

Li eventually hacked his way out and over the green. But then he putted across the green and into the water again, causing Scheffler another wait to putt.

The quintuple bogey came after a triple-bogey at the par-3 12th, sending him from 7 under to 1 over in a span of two holes.

Morikawa has made five consecutive birdies to reach 9 under and give himself a chance at the Masters.

Not bad considering he’s been dealing with a back injury and thought about withdrawing before the tournament even began.

Morikawa is still two shots back of McIlroy with just two holes left in his round, but it’s been quite a comeback for him. He made birdie at the first before a double-bogey at the second appeared as if it had ended his chances.

The two-time major winner has three top-10 finishes at Augusta National, including a tie for third two years ago.

▶ Read more about Morikawa’s health ahead of the Masters

The pressure of the Masters might be starting to get to Rose.

He missed the green on No. 12 after his chip shot failed to reach the putting surface. It resulted in his second straight bogey, allowing McIlroy to regain the lead.

McIlroy is at 11 under while Rose dropped into a second-place tie with Tyrrell Hatton, Russell Henley and Cameron Young at 10 under.

▶ Here’s the leaderboard

One of the biggest names left from LIV Golf had a rollercoaster tournament, opening with 74, shooting 66 on Friday, playing even-par 72 on Saturday and then dropping another round of 66 to finish off his week at Augusta National.

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Tyrrell Hatton, of England, greets fans on the sixth hole during the final round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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Tyrrell Hatton, of England, hits from the bunker on the first hole during the final round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Tyrrell Hatton, of England, watches his tee shot on the sixth hole during the final round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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Hatton once said he hated the course. Might be changing his tune these days.

He’s one shot behind co-leaders McIlroy and Rose.

▶ Here’s the leaderboard

It’s something we’ve heard before.

Rose and McIlroy are tied atop the leaderboard in the final round of the Masters.

Rose was unable to save par from right of the bunker at the par-4 11th at Augusta National, starting off his trek through Amen Corner with a bogey. That dropped him to 11 under and into a tie with McIlroy, who has a birdie look at the 10th.

McIlroy beat Rose in a playoff just last year.

There is a log-jam at 10-under par. Tyrrell Hatton, Cameron Young and Russell Henley are all one shot back.

Only four players have won a major after losing in a playoff the previous year: Jack Nicklaus (1972 U.S. Open), Gay Brewer (1967 Masters), Bobby Jones (1926 and 1929 U.S. Opens) and John McDermott (1911 U.S. Open).

Rose is trying to become the fifth after losing the Masters to McIlroy in a playoff last year.

McIlroy missed a makeable put on the ninth hole that would have tied him with Rose at 12 under.

He remains one back of the lead heading into the 10th.

Scheffler is the definition of lurking in the final round of the Masters.

While all the leaders are jockeying for the top of the leaderboard, the two-time champion has been quietly putting together a string of pars to stay in contention. Since reaching 9 under, Scheffler’s had eight of them in a row as he heads through Amen Corner.

He might need Rose to falter, though. Scheffler is still three back of his lead.

Jack Nicklaus was 46-years old when he started four shots back and won the 1986 Masters. Rose is 45, started four shots back today, and is leading the Masters after a birdie at the ninth moved him to 12 under with a two-shot cushion.

Russell Henley, Cameron Young, Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton are at 10 under.

Phil Mickelson is the oldest player to win a major, capturing the 2021 PGA Championship at 50.

Julius Boros won the 1968 PGA Championship at 48 and Old Tom Morris won the 1867 British Open at 46.

Rose would be the fifth-oldest major winner at the age of 45 years, eight months and 13 days.

Scheffler started the final round with two birdies in the first three holes, but has leveled out since with six straight pars to make the turn at 2-under 34.

That’s a decent front nine but Scheffler, who started the day four shots back of the leaders, is going to need to make more birdies if he hopes to win his third Masters in five years.

He is two shots behind surging leader Justin Rose, who is 3 under through eight holes.

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Justin Rose, of England, waves after his putt on the 18th hole during the third round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Justin Rose, of England, walks to green on the eighth hole during the third round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Justin Rose, of England, waves after his putt on the eighth hole during the final round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Justin Rose, of England, hits his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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Rose already has his name on the Masters trophy three times, just not in the way he’d like.

Augusta National lists the runner-ups in a right-hand column along with the winner on the left on the silver trophy depicting the clubhouse, and three times Rose has finished second in the season’s first major.

The first time was in 2015, when he finished in a tie with Phil Mickelson, four shots back of Jordan Spieth. The second came two years later, when Sergio Garcia beat him in a playoff. And of course, the third was just last year, when Rory McIlroy also beat Rose in a playoff to complete his own career grand slam.

The record for most runner-ups at the Masters is four.

The only major Rose has won came in 2013, when he triumphed in the U.S. Open.

The Masters leaderboard is changing at breakneck speed — and we’re not even to the back nine.

Rose made birdie at the eighth hole and now has sole possession of the lead after Young made bogey at the seventh.

Rose lost in a playoff to McIlroy last year.

▶ Here’s the leaderboard

As the leaders make the turn in the final round of the Masters, Spieth offered a preview of what they might face as the winds start to pick up at Augusta National, especially through holes No. 11, 12 and 13 — the aptly named Amen Corner.

“It was swirling a bit,” said Spieth, who shot 68 on Sunday. “The thing is, when you get on the back nine, it gets down in the hills and trees, and it’ll just be 10 miles (an hour) in your face when it’s actually down off the left, and you just have to sit there and believe it.”

That part of the property is the lowest spot on the course.

“It’s just a really hard thing to do on the holes around Amen Corner,” Spieth said, “because of all the trouble around.”

Spieth knows about that trouble. It was precisely that stretch of holes in 2016 where his bid for back-to-back green jackets got wet in Rae’s Creek. He hit two balls into the water at the par-3 12th and never recovered. Danny Willett won.

Defending Masters champion McIlroy looked like he might run away with his second straight green jacket holding a six-shot lead yesterday.

But he is 2-over par for the day and has fallen into a tie for fourth place, two shots behind Young (-11). McIlroy and Young, playing together in the final group, both made bogey on the par-3 sixth hole.

Russell Henley and Justin Rose are both one shot behind Young.

▶ Here’s the leaderboard

Henley would be a popular Masters champion around Augusta National, even if he’s not as well known as the rest of the names atop the leaderboard.

He was born in Macon, Georgia, a couple hours away, and played college golf at the University of Georgia.

He’s been hearing calls of “Go Dawgs!” all week.

Plenty of Georgians have won a green jacket — Claude Harmon in 1948, Tommy Aaron in 1973, Augusta native Larry Mize in 1987 — while another Bulldog, Bubba Watson, won a pair of Masters in 2012 and ’14.

Henley’s not as long off the tee as the others, putting him at a disadvantage, but his iron play and short game are superb. And he knows his way around Augusta National. He tied for fourth in the Masters a few years ago.

Cameron Young holds a two-shot lead at the Masters after five holes as he seeks to become the third straight player to follow up a win at the Players Championship with a victory at Augusta National.

Scottie Scheffler won both tournaments in 2024 and Rory McIlroy matched that feat last year.

Young’s best finish at the Masters came in 2023 when he finished tied for seventh.

Last year’s Masters runner-up Justin Rose and Russell Henley are on the move.

They have pulled into a three-way tie with McIlroy for second place at 10 under, two shots behind leader Young.

▶ Here’s the leaderboard

The way Young has played the last couple of days, it’s easy to forget he was 4 over at one point of the Masters on Thursday.

It was ugly, too. At the par-3 sixth hole on the opening day, Young yanked his approach shot so far left that the patrons had to be cleared out to make room for his pitch to the green.

At the next hole, Young drove it deep into the pine trees scattered across Augusta National, punched out, ended up in a greenside bunker and wound up making another bogey.

So to summarize: Young played his first seven in 4 over. He played the next 51 holes in 16 under.