The world’s second-ranked player from Northern Ireland endured a nervy start to his final round in pursuit of a sixth major crown. A double bogey at the fourth and a bogey at the sixth briefly threatened to derail his charge, but he showed grit and class, responding with four birdies over the next seven holes to steady the ship.

Despite some shaky tee shots late in the round, McIlroy held his nerve when it mattered most, carding a one-under-par 71 to finish on 12-under. 

That proved just enough to edge world number one Scottie Scheffler by a single stroke, sealing a second green jacket and a winner’s cheque of just shy of R75 million.

Rory McIlroy became only the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters titles. Photo: Masters

In doing so, McIlroy joined an exclusive group of back-to-back Masters champions alongside legends Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods.

A year on from finally claiming his maiden Masters title – which completed his career Grand Slam and ended a decade-long wait for a major – McIlroy went all the way in a performance built on a dominant opening two rounds.

With tradition taking a slight twist, Masters chairman Fred Ridley helped him into the iconic green jacket, typically presented by the previous year’s winner.

“I can’t believe I waited so long for my first green jacket and now I’ve got two in a row,”  said McIlroy. “All those years of perseverance here are starting to pay off.

“It was a tough weekend. I did most of my work on Thursday and Friday. But I’m just really pleased I managed to hang in and get it done.

“The tee shots on 12 and 13 were massive – that set up the birdies and really gave me control of the round.”

World number one, Scottie Scheffler, became the first player since 1942 to go bogey-free at the Masters. Photo: X

“I’m not putting a number on it, but I’m definitely not done yet.”

Scheffler, chasing a third Masters title in five years, mounted a strong challenge with a final-round 68 to finish 11-under-par, completing a bogey-free weekend.

“I gave it a proper go and did a lot of things right, but just came up a bit short,” said Scheffler.

England’s Tyrrell Hatton and South African-born Justin Rose, along with Americans Russell Henley and Cameron Young, shared third place on 10-under-par.

South African-born Justin Rose finished in a tie for third after holding the early lead during the final round. Photo: Justin Rose

Rose, the 2013 US Open champion, threatened early after birdieing four of his last five holes on the front nine to briefly grab a share of the lead. However, dropped shots at eleven and 12 opened the door for McIlroy to take control for good. Last year, he finished as the runner-up to McIlroy.

In what was a disappointing week for the South Africans, Charl Schwartzel, finished in a share for 54th on 12-over-par. The youngsters, Aldrich Potgieter and Casey Jarvis, both failed to make the cut after the second round.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek dg