Rory McIlroy admitted that it will have been a ‘bitter pill to swallow’ to not flip a record-breaking midway lead at The Masters right into a historic title defence at Augusta Nationwide.
McIlroy grew to become simply the fourth participant in historical past to win back-to-back editions of The Masters, following final 12 months’s dramatic play-off win over Justin Rose – finishing the Grand Slam – by claiming a one-shot win over Scottie Scheffler on Sunday.
The world No 2 constructed a six-shot midway lead – the biggest 36-hole benefit in Masters historical past – however fell two behind taking part in associate Cameron Younger throughout the closing day having dropped three pictures in a two-hole stretch on his first 9.
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Highlights from the ultimate spherical of The Masters at Augusta Nationwide, the place Rory McIlroy claimed a slim win
McIlroy responded by discovering 4 birdies over the remainder of this spherical, with a final-hole bogey sufficient to safe a sixth main title and be part of Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods as the one gamers to win The Masters in successive years.
“I thought it was so difficult to win last year because of trying to win The Masters and the Grand Slam, then this year I realised it’s just really difficult to win The Masters,” McIlroy admitted. “I attempted to persuade myself it was each.
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Highlights of Rory McIlroy’s closing spherical from The Masters, the place he made historical past by defending his title
“Yeah, simply unbelievable. I clearly did the majority of my work on Thursday and Friday. I do not suppose I’d have believed anybody in the event that they stated to me all you must do is shoot even-par for the weekend and you will win.
“I undoubtedly thought I used to be going to want to go on the market and at the very least shoot a few under-par scores. I simply needed to grasp in there. Yeah, simply completely delighted to have the ability to get it finished.
“Having a six-shot lead going into the weekend, it would have been a bitter pill to swallow if I wasn’t able to get myself over the finish line.”
‘I do not make it straightforward!’ – McIlroy savours extra historical past
McIlroy began the ultimate spherical tied for the lead however misplaced floor when he adopted a birdie on the third with a three-putt double-bogey on the par-three subsequent, with a dropped shot on the fifth dropping him additional behind.
He adopted successive positive aspects from the sixth by including back-to-back birdies from the twelfth, placing him three forward with 5 to play, with a one-under 71 sufficient to carry off Scheffler’s weekend cost.
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Rory McIlroy defended The Masters, closing out victory with a final-hole bogey
“I don’t make it easy!” McIlroy admitted. “I used to make it easy back in my early 20s when I was winning these things by eight shots.
“No, it is simply arduous. It is arduous to win golf tournaments, particularly round right here. You have had possibly a few runaway winners through the years, nevertheless it all the time appears to be a really tight end at this golf course. I believe it is the character of the golf course, it is the character of what is at stake.
“I certainly didn’t think I was home and dry after Friday night, and I knew I still needed work to do. But I still thought I would need to shoot under-par to get the job done, but thankfully I did enough.”
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Rory McIlroy performed Amen Nook in two-under par to tug away from the chasing pack and take a agency grip of The Masters throughout Sunday’s closing spherical at Augusta Nationwide
McIlroy accomplished the third leg of the Grand Slam in 2014 however had 10 unsuccessful makes an attempt after that to assert The Masters, his solely lacking main, with the Northern Irishman now claiming the Inexperienced Jacket in his seventeenth and 18th appearances at Augusta Nationwide.
“I just can’t believe I waited 17 years to get one Green Jacket and I get two in a row,” McIlroy added within the Butler Cabin. “I believe all my perseverance at this golf event through the years has actually began to repay.
“It [letting a lead slip] felt pretty similar to last year. I made a double early on the first hole last year and I made a double on four this year, then I played flawless golf after that.
“I made 4 birdies and no bogeys going to the final tee realizing that I had a two-shot lead. It is good to have that two-shot cushion as an alternative of the one like I had final 12 months.
“I looked at the board after I made the bogey on six and I think I went back to nine under at that point, I said ‘okay, if I can get to 14-under, I think I’ve got a really good chance of winning this tournament’. I didn’t quite get there, but 13 was good enough standing on the 18th tee.”
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Rory McIlroy receives his Inexperienced Jacket from the Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership chairman Fred Ridley in Butler Cabin
What’s subsequent?
The PGA Tour heads to South Carolina for the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head Island, the newest Signature Occasion, the place Justin Thomas returns as defending champion. Early protection begins on Thursday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports activities Golf, forward of full protection from 7pm
The following males’s main is the PGA Championship from Could 14-17, held at Aronimink Golf Membership in Pennsylvania, additionally reside on Sky Sports activities. Get Sky Sports activities or stream with no contract.
