Rory McIlroy has become just the fourth golfer, and the first since Tiger Woods in 2002, to successfully defend his Masters title with a gritty display at Augusta National.
Twelve months on from completing the grand slam at the iconic venue courtesy of a play-off, the 36-year-old added to his illustrious career with a sixth major following a one-shot win over Scottie Scheffler after a final round 71 to finish top of the pile on 12 under.
The Holywood native saw the biggest halfway lead in Masters history whittled down on Saturday, starting out his final round tied with Cam Young of the United States on 11-under par.
After dropping three shots between the fourth and sixth, there were fears that the title defence could unravel, but he fought back strongly, not dropping another shot on his way to further glory, the first player since Dustin Johnson in 2020 to win the tournament wire-to-wire.
Compatriot Shane Lowry, who claimed a hole-in-one on Saturday and began the day two off the lead and with aspirations of claiming the green jacket, saw his challenge unravel. Three-over through the opening five holes, three double-bogeys featured in his round as he slumped to an 80 to finish on one under and a tie for 30th.
McIlroy had displayed more control than in his erratic driving and iron performance on Saturday, but still struggled to put together a scoring streak like his rivals did with more regularity as the lead changed hands several times.
A birdie at the third was a step in the right direction, but a three-putt at the fourth came out of nowhere, with that double-bogey compounded by another dropped shot at the sixth as he fell two adrift of leader Cameron Young.
He finally found his rhythm at the seventh, where he hit his approach to seven feet, and followed that with a birdie at the par-five next.
The world number two should have joined Justin Rose at the top of the leaderboard but missed a short birdie putt at the ninth to sit one back, while playing partner Young dropped three shots in four holes to the turn to fall away.
Rose, defeated by McIlroy in last year's play-off, applied the pressure with four birdies in five holes at the turn to move to 12-under, and for a short period, into the outright lead.
However he gave one back before the County Down man turned on the style with back-to-back birdies at 12 and 13 to open up a two-stroke advantage over the Englishman and world number one Scheffler on a Sunday charge.
It was a composed finish coming down the stretch, parring the final four holes to conslidate the lead. A wobble off the tee at the last was a moment of concern as he pushed his drive right, but scrambled well to find the greenside bunker from a tricky position.
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Safe in the knowledge a bogey would suffice, he splashed it out of the sand to 15ft. Two putts later and victory was secured, one clear of Scheffler - who carded a 65 - with Rose, Young, Russell Henley, Tyrrell Hatton tied for third on 10 under.
McIlroy joins Woods, Jack Nickalus, and Nick Faldo as the only players to successfully defend the green jacket and moves him alongside Faldo and Phil Mickelson on half a dozen major wins.
