Rory McIlroy has warned the rest of elite golf he will set further, lofty goals after a successful defence of the Masters. The Northern Irishman prevailed at Augusta National by a shot over Scottie Scheffler, becoming just the fourth golfer to win the tournament back-to-back.
McIlroy, who now has six major titles, said he has no plans to rest on his laurels. “I just won my sixth major and I feel like I’m in a really good spot with my game and my body,” he said. “I don’t want to put a number on it, I don’t want to say a stop on the journey, but it’s just a part of the journey. I still have things I want to achieve but I still want to enjoy it as well.”
The 2026 Masters victory was particularly special as McIlroy’s parents, Rosie and Gerry, were present after missing the previous year. “They missed it last year and the first thing I wanted to do was fly home to see them,” McIlroy said. “I had to sort of convince them to come this year because they thought the reason I won last year was because they weren’t here. I’m glad we proved that wrong, so they can keep coming as long as they want.”
Reflecting on his state of mind, McIlroy said he was “not as emotional” as last year but still amazed. “We lose a lot more in golf than we win. So I think when the winning comes around, you have to celebrate it to the fullest. I’ll have a good time tonight, and I’ll probably have a sore head flying back to Florida tomorrow morning.”
McIlroy’s win came in dramatic circumstances, with a wayward drive on the final tee. “I don’t make it easy,” he admitted. “I used to make it easy back in my early 20s when I was winning these things by eight shots. This year I realised it’s just really difficult to win the Masters.”
