Rory McIlroy on Masters glory: 'I still have things I want to achieve, but I still want to enjoy it as well'

The Holywood man made it back-to-back Masters victories on Sunday night. 

AND STILL... Rory McIlroy celebrates after winning the Masters golf tournament. Pic: AP Photo/David J. Phillip

After the extraordinary toll it took to claim his first green jacket, Rory McIlroy now has two. The fourth player ever to win back-to-back Masters did it in his own distinctive style, with an endearing mix of theatre and talent.

The 36-year-old held off a stacked leaderboard and beat world number one Scottie Scheffler by one shot to become the first repeat champion since Tiger Woods in 2002.

“I thought it was so difficult to win last year because of trying to win the Masters and the Grand Slam, and then this year I realised it is just really difficult to win the Masters,” he said afterwards.

“I tried to convince myself it was both.

“Yeah, just incredible. I obviously did the bulk of my work on Thursday and Friday. I don't think I would have believed anyone if they said to me all you have to do is shoot even-par for the weekend and you'll win. 

"I definitely thought I was going to need to go out there and at least shoot a couple of under-par scores.

“The course in the afternoon -- yesterday the course was gettable pretty much all day, but today the wind was up a little bit. It was gusty. It made things definitely a little more tricky, especially on the back nine.

“Yeah, I just had to hang in there.” 

That is the lesson of the feat for him. It took stunning resilience on Sunday to stick it out after he fell two behind to playing partner Cameron Young.

Good things come to those who wait, maybe. Just keep going. 

"I find myself in a very similar position today to where I was in the last round last year, two or three behind, but I played solid golf after that.” 

What made it more special was the fact that his parents, Rosie and Gerry, were in attendance to see it. In 2025, they did not come along but on Sunday the Hollywood man was able to embrace them immediately after his final putt dropped.

It took some persuasion to get them to become patrons. McIlroy had to convince them their absence wasn’t the reason he won 12 months ago.

“I said on the putting green that I'm glad we proved that wrong, so they can keep coming as long as they want.

Yeah, it is amazing to have them here. I am excited to celebrate with them tonight.” 

While this phenomenal feat should be appreciated for what it is, there is no getting away from the fact it is not a conclusion either. Not by a long shot. 

The Hollywood man is composed and dangerous. He joins fellow European Nick Faldo on six majors.

Everyone in Augusta National knows he is capable of more too. Not least of all, himself.

“I said at the start of the weekend here I felt like the Grand Slam was the destination, and I realized it wasn't.

"I'm on this journey to… I don't know, I just won my sixth major, and I feel like I am in a really good spot with my game and my body.

“I don't want to put a number on it, but I feel like this win is just, I don't want to say a stop on the journey, but it is just a part of the journey. I still have things I want to achieve, but I still want to enjoy it as well.”