Rory McIlroy has warned the rest of elite golf he will set further, lofty goals in his sport after a successful defence of the Masters. McIlroy prevailed at Augusta National by a shot over Scottie Scheffler, becoming just the fourth golfer to win the tournament back-to-back.
While McIlroy will cherish his win, 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,” McIlroy 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 Northern Irishman’s parents, Rosie and Gerry, were present this year after missing the 2025 edition. “It’s really cool to have them here,” McIlroy said. “They missed it last year and the first thing I wanted to do was fly home to see them. 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.”
Comparing his state of mind between wins, McIlroy said: “Not as emotional, but just, wow, it’s amazing. I can’t believe I did it again. 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.”
McIlroy’s win arrived in dramatic circumstances. He found just 55% of Masters fairways and hit only 48 of 72 greens in regulation. From the final tee on Sunday, where he was two ahead, McIlroy hit a wayward drive right and into trees. “I don’t make it easy,” he admitted. “Walking off the 18th tee not knowing where my ball was, I think that was the moment of greatest stress.”
