AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Rory McIlroy joined extra elite firm Sunday at the Masters when he pulled away with a pair of birdies round Amen Nook and, as standard, saved somewhat drama for the tip earlier than taking his place in Augusta Nationwide historical past as solely the fourth back-to-back champion.
In a last spherical the place three gamers had a two-shot lead, McIlroy seized management for good with a bold shot over Rae’s Creek to 7 ft for birdie on the par-3 twelfth. Then he blistered a 350-yard drive on the par-5 thirteenth that arrange one other birdie to maneuver three pictures forward.
There have been just a few dicey moments, together with a shot over the par-3 sixteenth inexperienced that required him to use the slope to get in close for par, and a wild drive on the 18th that wound up nearer to the tenth fairway. He tapped in for bogey and a 1-under 71 for a one-shot victory over Scottie Scheffler.
A yr in the past, his playoff victory over Justin Rose made McIlroy solely the sixth participant with the profession Grand Slam. With one other inexperienced jacket, McIlroy joined Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus as the one repeat winners of the Masters.
“A couple of guys made a run, however nothing like Justin final yr with that 66,” McIlroy stated. “Some good play by me and happily some guys didn’t come after me this yr.”
McIlroy stood tall when he tapped within the last putt to complete at 12-under 276. There was no reduction like final yr of going 17 years attempting to win the Masters. This was pure pleasure.
It was extra heartache for Rose, and frustration for the others who had an opportunity.
Rose had a two-shot lead that evaporated round Amen Nook with two bogeys and a three-putt par. He couldn’t make up sufficient floor the remainder of the best way and needed to accept a 3rd shut name on the Masters.
Cameron Younger misplaced his two-shot lead a lot earlier with an extended three-putt bogey on the par-3 sixth and taking bogey on the subsequent gap when he hit wedge from the golf green right into a bunker. One shot behind going to the again 9, Younger closed with 9 straight pars.
As for Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 participant was in place to shatter the Masters file with the biggest 36-hole comeback in historical past. He was 12 behind going into the weekend. He was two pictures behind as he approached the flip. However he ran off 11 straight pars — that wasn’t going to chop it throughout a last spherical with accessible pins to create pleasure.
Scheffler needed to accept his third runner-up end within the majors to associate with 4 titles. His 65-68 weekend made him the primary participant since 1942 to go bogey-free on the weekend at Augusta.
“I put up a very good struggle in an effort to give myself an opportunity,” Scheffler stated.
Rose, at age 45 attempting to develop into the second-oldest Masters champion behind Jack Nicklaus (46) in 1986, made it really feel as if this was going to be his time. He made a most improbable birdie with a shot out of the trees to a foot on the seventh. That was the beginning of three straight birdies to shut out the entrance 9 and provides him the lead.
However his method to the eleventh was nicely to the correct and he failed to avoid wasting par. His tee shot on the twelfth was lengthy, and his delicate chip didn’t attain the inexperienced, main to a different bogey. After which his 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 thirteenth ran 8 ft by the opening and he missed the birdie putt.
“Probability that acquired away,” Rose stated. “I used to be in no way free and clear and was nowhere sort of near having the job carried out, however I used to be proper in place. … I used to be actually in management. And the mentality was to run by the end line, not simply try to get it carried out.
“I used to be enjoying nice, however simply momentum shifted for me across the Amen Nook.”
On the finish it was a now acquainted champion, McIlroy, as soon as affected by his chase for the inexperienced jacket and now a two-time winner whose love for the Masters solely deepens.
He was so ecstatic a yr in the past that he requested the media when it was over, “What are we going to speak about subsequent yr?” Now the subject is simple. Nobody has ever received three in a row.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Doug Ferguson, The Related Press