Rory McIlroy targets even loftier goals after winning back-to-back Masters titles

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, meaning the Northern Irishman becomes just the fourth golfer in history 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.

“I’ve waited so long to win the Masters and all of a sudden I win two in a row. So I still want to enjoy it. I’ve got a couple of weeks off before I go back to playing competitive golf but I don’t think I’ll go through that lull of motivation or the sort of things that I was feeling last year post winning this tournament.”

While 2025 at Augusta delivered the career grand slam, there was emotion for McIlroy at the conclusion of the 2026 version. The golfer’s parents, Rosie and Gerry, were not at the Masters a year ago but were on hand to see their son retain the Green Jacket.

“I caught myself on the golf course a couple of times thinking about them,” McIlroy said. “I was like, ‘No, not yet, not yet.’ It’s really cool to have them here.

“They missed it last year and the first thing I wanted to do was fly home to see them because I obviously wouldn’t be sitting up here if it wasn’t for 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, so they can keep coming as long as they want. It’s amazing to have them here. I’m excited to celebrate with them tonight.”

Comparing his own state of mind between Masters 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. I’ll have a good time tonight, and I’ll probably have a sore head flying back to Florida tomorrow morning.”

McIlroy’s win arrived in typically dramatic circumstances. He found just 55% of Masters fairways over four rounds and hit only 48 of 72 greens in regulation. The six-shot lead McIlroy held after 36 holes had gone after 54. 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. “I used to make it easy back in my early 20s when I was winning these things by eight shots.

“I thought it was so difficult to win last year because of trying to win the Masters and the Grand Slam. This year I realised it’s just really difficult to win the Masters. I had tried to convince myself it was both.

“Walking off the 18th tee not knowing where my ball was, I think that was the moment of greatest stress. It could go anywhere. It could be anywhere.”