Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Rory McIlroy secured his second Masters title, edging out World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler by a single shot to claim victory. With the win, McIlroy joins an elite group of just four players to win back-to-back Masters titles, becoming the first to do so since Tiger Woods achieved it in 2001–02.
A one-shot win over Scheffler gave McIlroy a 15-year span between his first and sixth major championships. McIlroy finished the tournament at 12-under-par with a closing round of 71, maintaining at least a share of the lead throughout all four rounds. After finally capturing his first Masters title last year to complete the career Grand Slam, a feat that took over a decade, he needed only one more year to add another green jacket to his collection.
Reflecting on the win, McIlroy noted that while the pressure of completing the Grand Slam made last year particularly challenging, he came to appreciate that winning the Masters is always a formidable task regardless of circumstances. “I thought it was so difficult to win last year because of trying to win the Masters and the grand slam. And then this year, I realized it’s just really difficult to win the Masters. I tried to convince myself it was both,” he said after the win.
Justin Rose, who entered the final nine holes with a two-shot advantage and was aiming to become one of the oldest champions at age 45, faltered with four bogeys and ultimately finished tied for third,
