Rory McIlroy has defended his title at The Masters, closing out another win at Augusta National Golf Club to join Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Nick Faldo as the only players to win back-to-back editions of the tournament.

A final-round 71 was enough to secure a 12-under total, with Scottie Scheffler finishing one shot behind after a late push that never quite shifted the balance.

The margin stayed tight through the closing stretch, but McIlroy kept control of the outcome.

His route to the win was far from straightforward. Opening rounds of 67 and 65 built a six-shot lead at the halfway mark, only for a third-round 73 to bring the field back into it. 

By the start of Sunday, that cushion had disappeared, and the contest reset into a head-to-head battle.

Early in the final round, pressure built quickly. A three-putt bogey on the fourth dropped McIlroy behind, forcing a response rather than a controlled finish. 

The turnaround came later on the back nine, where birdies at 14 and 15 steadied the round and shifted the edge back in his favour.

The key moment arrived on 17. A six-foot putt for birdie extended the gap to two shots, giving him enough room heading to the last. 

A bogey on 18, after a missed tee shot, left the door slightly open, but Scheffler could only close with par, leaving McIlroy clear by one.

Pre-tournament expectations had already pointed in this direction. Nicklaus noted that once the first win at Augusta was secured, a repeat would become more realistic. 

That outlook carried into the week, with McIlroy focusing more on decision-making and execution rather than chasing a specific result.

The win is his sixth major title and places him in a small league of players who have managed consecutive victories at Augusta. 

Speaking after the match, McIlroy expressed his joy after a successful title defence, especially after trying for almost two decades to win at Augusta: “I can’t believe I waited 17 years to get one Green Jacket and now I get two in a row.”