I said in my Masters preview that nothing short of an alien abduction could eclipse the drama of last year’s event.
Rory etched his named into eternity last year, exorcising all that Augusta agony to become just the 6th man in history to complete the coveted Career Grand Slam. But boy, the 2026 edition of the Masters did make a decent fist of it. It had everything from the expected (Gary Player being an ass) to the unbelievable (Bryson missing the cut). Rory went on another rollercoaster ride, ultimately prevailing to become the first back-to-back Masters champion since Tiger (2001-2002). McIlroy has now won six major championships, drawing himself level with the trio of Trevino, Faldo and Mickelson. But this was far from the procession that many predicted on Friday night.
No pain, no gain
I feel like McIlroy should use a portion of his considerable wealth to organize blood pressure tests for his most ardent fans. The Northern Irishman has a flair for the dramatic (it kind of makes sense for a guy born in Holywood). Gone are the days of winning PGA Championships by eight shots (as he did at Congressional and Kiawah). His victories have become an exercise in sadomasochism. McIlroy started his title defence in incredible fashion, fending off early charges from the likes of Reed and Koepka to over up a six-stroke lead after 36-holes (a Masters record). Yet, closer inspection reveals that it was a minor miracle that he was even under par.
Demons in the details
After the first two rounds of play, McIlroy ranked 90th in the field for Driving Accuracy. 91 players teed it up at Augusta. Moreover, Northern Irish icon failed to hit a single fairway on the par 5’s in the first two rounds. Yet he somehow managed to shoot the lights out, relying on his clutch scrambling and putting skills. But you could sense there was a nightmare lurking mischievously around the corner. If Scheffler goes into the weekend with a six-stroke lead, you can bet your house on that. But Rory likes to live on the edge. He bogeyed the first hole on Saturday, immediately inviting the chasing pack back into contention. Things threatened to unravel after he double bogeyed the 11th. But McIlroy showed some grit in the latter part of the round, ending Saturday tied for the lead with Cam Young (who was playing like Bobby Jones at that stage).
Sunday drama
Rory looked like a shattered man in the early stages of yesterday’s round. The field was condensing, with the likes of Scheffler and Rose going on heaters in front of him. And then he endured a horror-show on the 4th, inexplicably three-putting from under ten feet to give Cam Young a two-stroke lead. But Rory showed steely resolve in the face of adversity, finding his driver (mostly) to lay down the hammer on the back nine. Having said that, his gorgeous tee-shot on the 12th may have been the defining shot of the round (he hit it closer than anyone in the final round). Scottie Scheffler put his all into it, shooting a final round 68 to set the clubhouse lead at 11-under-par. Incidentally, Scheffler created a neat bit of history for himself, becoming the first man since 1941 to go bogey-free on the weekend at Augusta. And he still couldn’t win. But I digress.
Calm before the storm
Weirdly enough, things started to feel a bit anticlimactic over the closing holes. Young’s putter went as cold as Greg Norman’s reception at the 2024 Masters. Rose wilted under the pressure, losing all his momentum with some strange decisions on the back nine. Rory suddenly had breathing space on the final few hours, strolling to the 18th tee with a comfy two-stroke advantage. It was surely over. But the Northern Irishman had one more heart murmur in store for us, slicing his tee-shot as far right as Spieth did at Royal Birkdale back in 2017. So far right, in fact, that he could manufacture a draw into the front bunker. McIlroy scooped it out and had two putts for victory (both of which were needed). I don’t think that McIlroy would have won this tournament had it been last year. I think the psychological impact of squandering that six-shot halfway lead would have probably been too much in the face of that Career Grand Slam narrative. The fact that he was already a Masters champ gave him a sense of serenity when things went awry.
Formalities
I didn’t know exactly what the etiquette would be as McIlroy went to collect his 2nd Green Jacket. Traditionally, the defending champ is the guy who pretends to be exhilarated when putting the jacket on the new winner (like Scottie did last year). As the last winner pre-Rory, was Scottie up again? That will have felt right given the fact that he also finished solo 2nd this time around. Would they get a guy in a crudely constructed Rory Mask? Perhaps they could have used Fitzy because they share a bit of a resemblance. In the end, it was, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley who did the honours. I think my ideas were better.
What next for Rory?
Is this the year that Rory goes on a major blitzkrieg? Many- myself included- believed he could go on a major splurge after finally nabbing that elusive Masters title last season. But he wasn’t a factor in the remaining majors. I don’t think he was able to motivate himself for the remainder of last season. He had reached the promised land and everything else felt like a glorified pro-am. After last year’s victory, he slumped down with the relief of a parent whose kid returns home from war. This year, he looked driven and calculated through the tears and celebrations: he means business. Also, he has a bit of history with some of the courses on this year’s major championship roster. He- alongside four others- holds the course record of 62 at Aronimink GC (the host of this year’s PGA Championship). He also finished in a tie for 4th the last time the Open Championship visited Royal Birkdale. This could be his year.
