They said Rory McIlroy would never win at Augusta. Then he won once. Now he's won twice in a row, and the conversation has completely changed.
McIlroy hung on Sunday to capture his second consecutive green jacket, finishing at 12-under par despite a nervy final round that saw his six-shot lead nearly evaporate. The Northern Irishman's 1-under 71 was just enough to hold off Scottie Scheffler, who finished one shot back at 11-under.
Let me tell you something about redemption. For years - years - we watched McIlroy come to Augusta National and find new ways to break our hearts. The close calls. The Sunday collapses. The sense that this course just had his number. And then last year, he finally broke through to complete the career Grand Slam.
Winning it once was historic. Winning it back-to-back? That's legendary.
"I can't describe what this means," McIlroy said after the round, according to Yahoo Sports. "Last year was about completing the career slam. This year was about proving I belong here."
And belong he does. McIlroy joins Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Nick Faldo as the only players to win consecutive Masters titles. That's not just elite company - that's Mount Rushmore territory.
The final round wasn't pretty. McIlroy bogeyed the 11th and 15th holes, watching his comfortable lead shrink with every birdie. But champions find a way, and made crucial pars down the stretch when he needed them most.
