The 90th Masters Tournament, played April 9–12 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, was not a procession. It was barely controlled chaos resolved by one of sport's most resilient performers. Rory McIlroy entered the final round with a six-shot lead, the largest 54-hole advantage in Masters history. He did not make it look easy. A third-round 73 had already trimmed his lead. On Sunday, Cameron Young and Justin Rose surged. At one point McIlroy was three shots behind. Then came Amen Corner — specifically, the par-3 12th, Golden Bell. His approach flirted with Rae's Creek, kissed the greenside bunker's downslope, and finished six feet from the pin. He made the putt. He made birdie at 13. He never relinquished the lead again. His final round: 71 (1-under). Total: 276 (−12). Winner by one stroke over Scottie Scheffler (−11).
McIlroy became only the fourth player in Masters history to win consecutive editions, joining Jack Nicklaus (1965–66), Nick Faldo (1989–90), and Tiger Woods (2001–02) — the last back-to-back champion until today. He is the first European to achieve the feat. The 36-year-old Northern Irishman won his second green jacket and 12th major championship overall. The prize fund for 2026 was $22.5 million — the largest in Masters history — with McIlroy collecting $4.5 million. "I thought it was so difficult to win last year because of trying to win the Grand Slam," McIlroy said. "And then this year, I realized it's just really difficult to win the Masters." The question for 2027: can he become the first player in history to win three in a row?