AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Rory McIlroy had to wait more than a decade to win the Masters and complete the career Grand Slam.
He only had to wait a year to take home a second green jacket.
After squandering a record six-stroke lead in Saturday's third round, McIlroy briefly lost the lead again Sunday before taking control on the second nine at Augusta National to become the first back-to-back Masters champion since Tiger Woods in 2001-02 and the fourth overall (Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo).
A day after his 1-over 73 opened the door for a handful of golfers, McIlroy posted a 71 despite a bogey on the 18th to win by one stroke at 12-under 276.
"It felt pretty similar to last year," McIlroy said. "I made a double early on the first hole last year. I made a double on four this year. Then I played flawless golf after that. I made four birdies and no bogeys going to the last tee knowing that I had a two-shot lead. It's nice to have that two-shot cushion instead of the one like I had last year."
McIlroy became only the fourth golfer in the past 40 years to hold a lead or co-lead after each round of the Masters, according to ESPN Research.
With his sixth major championship victory, the Northern Ireland native joined England's Faldo for second most among European golfers. Only England's Harry Vardon won more with seven from 1896 to 1914.
Like last year, this Masters victory didn't come without plenty of drama on the 18th hole. Holding a two-stroke lead, McIlroy badly sliced his drive into the trees on the right, his ball nearly reaching the edge of the 10th fairway. Standing in pine straw, McIlroy hooked an 8-iron high over the trees into the left bunker at the 18th. He punched out to 12 feet and two-putted for a bogey and one-shot victory over world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who finished at 11 under.
Thanks to two late birdies, Scheffler closed with a 68 and became the first golfer since World War II to play bogey free in the final two rounds of the Masters.
LIV Golf's Tyrrell Hatton, Russell Henley, Justin Rose and Cameron Young tied for third at 10 under.
"I hit it amazing today," Henley said. "I gave myself a bunch of looks. Unfortunately, I didn't capitalize on those looks on the back like I would have liked to. I felt like I handled the pressure well, handled the conditions well. It was tricky out there."
McIlroy looked to be in trouble early in his round. After making a birdie on the par-4 third, he three-putted for a double-bogey on the par-3 fourth to drop to 10 under. A bogey on the par-3 sixth dropped him to 9 under, two shots behind Young.
The early mistakes had McIlroy looking at scoreboards through his round.
"I felt like I needed to, especially after the rough start," he said. "I needed to know where I was in the tournament, and after the sixth hole I was like, 'OK, if I can get back to even par for the day,' which I did with the birdies on 7 and 8, I knew I was going to be right in there going into the back nine. I was keeping an eye all day.
"Thankfully there [were] a few guys that made a run but nothing like what Justin did last year with that 66. Some good play by me, and fortunately the guys didn't really come at me this year either."
McIlroy took control at Amen Corner, Augusta National's famous three-hole stretch from Nos. 11 to 13.
He made par on the par-4 11th to maintain a one-shot lead over four golfers, then hit his tee shot with a 9-iron high over the par-3 12th green. His ball landed and kicked right, stopping 7 feet from the hole. McIlroy's birdie putt broke right and dropped in the cup for a two-shot lead.
Then on the par-5 13th, McIlroy crushed a 350-yard drive down the right side, leaving him 183 yards from the hole. His approach shot bounced off the back of the green, about 22 yards away. McIlroy putted down the green to 11 feet and made a birdie putt for a three-stroke lead with five holes to play.
"I think the tee shot on 12 and then the tee shot on 13, just to give me the option to go for the green in two," McIlroy said when asked if any shots stood out Sunday. "I struggled with that tee shot all week. I was up in the pine straw there one too many times, and I made a really good committed swing off the 13th tee, and that enabled me to go for the green in two. To make a birdie there following the birdie on 12, that was massive."
Rose, a three-time runner-up at Augusta National after losing to McIlroy in a playoff last year, started the final round three strokes behind McIlroy and Young. But he closed the first nine with three straight birdies to move to 12 under and take a two-stroke lead when he made the turn.
However, it was another devastating finish for Rose. On the 11th, he pushed his approach shot far to the right. He chipped over a bunker on his third shot and couldn't make a 15-footer for par. The bogey dropped him to 11 under, tying him with McIlroy.
Rose's tee shot on the 12th was long and left. Somehow, he chunked his chip shot from behind the green, leaving his ball in the rough. He putted to 5 feet and made another bogey, falling one behind McIlroy.
The 45-year-old, who was attempting to become the second-oldest Masters champion, seemed to regain momentum on his approach on the par-5 15th. From 197 yards, Rose took an aggressive line and his ball bounced onto the green and stopped 30 feet from the hole. But Rose missed an eagle putt, then an 8-foot birdie try and had to settle for a three-putt par, leaving him two behind McIlroy.
"I think just [a] chance that got away, obviously," Rose said. "You know, I was by no means kind of free and clear and was nowhere kind of close to having the job done, but I was right in position. You know, Amen Corner, without really hitting a bad shot but just not [a] good shot, not committed enough on maybe the [11th approach] shot specifically, it was kind of like two saves."
Scheffler put himself back in the hunt for a third green jacket with a 7-under 65 on Saturday. He made two early birdies in the final round but then carded 11 straight pars before the birdies at Nos. 15 and 16.
"Overall I'm not going to hold too many regrets, but yeah, definitely a bit disappointed now," he said. "But like I said, I started the weekend 12 shots back and ended up only one shot back. If I am going to blame anything, I should probably blame the first two rounds before I start looking at stuff from the last couple."
