Rory McIlroy etched his name deeper into golf’s storied history on Sunday at the Masters in Augusta, Georgia, by securing his place among the sport’s elite. With a masterful performance, he clinched victory and became only the fourth golfer ever to win consecutive Masters tournaments.

The final round was a nail-biter, with three contenders sharing a two-shot lead at various points. McIlroy took decisive action with a daring shot over Rae’s Creek on the par-3 12th, landing just 7 feet from the hole for a birdie. He followed this with a powerful 350-yard drive on the par-5 13th, securing another birdie and a commanding three-shot lead.

While McIlroy faced a few tense moments—such as an overhit shot on the par-3 16th that demanded precision to save par and a wayward drive on the 18th that drifted near the 10th fairway—he retained his composure. A bogey on the last hole secured a 1-under 71, giving him a hard-fought one-shot victory over Scottie Scheffler.

McIlroy’s triumph this year builds on his playoff win against Justin Rose last season, which completed his career Grand Slam. By donning the green jacket once more, he joins the illustrious ranks of Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo, and Jack Nicklaus as repeat Masters champions.

“Some players made a charge, but nothing like Justin’s 66 last year,” McIlroy reflected. “I played well, and thankfully, the field didn’t catch me this time around.”

As McIlroy tapped in his final putt to finish at 12-under 276, his victory was marked by sheer jubilation, a stark contrast to last year’s relief after a 17-year quest for the Masters title.

It was more heartache for Rose, and frustration for the others who had a chance.

Rose had a two-shot lead that evaporated around Amen Corner with two bogeys and a three-putt par. He couldn’t make up enough ground the rest of the way and had to settle for a third close call at the Masters.

Cameron Young lost his two-shot lead much earlier with a long three-putt bogey on the par-3 sixth and taking bogey on the next hole when he hit wedge from the fairway into a bunker. One shot behind going to the back nine, Young closed with nine straight pars.

As for Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player was in position to shatter the Masters record with the largest 36-hole comeback in history. He was 12 behind going into the weekend. He was two shots behind as he approached the turn. But he ran off 11 straight pars – that wasn’t going to cut it during a final round with accessible pins to create excitement.

Scheffler had to settle for his third runner-up finish in the majors to go along with four titles. His 65-68 weekend made him the first player since 1942 to go bogey-free on the weekend at Augusta.

“I put up a good fight in order to give myself a chance,” Scheffler said.

Rose, at age 45, trying to become the second-oldest Masters champion behind Jack Nicklaus (46) in 1986, made it feel as though this was going to be his time. He made a most improbable birdie with a shot out of the trees to a foot on the seventh. That was the start of three straight birdies to close out the front nine and give him the lead.

But his approach to the 11th was well to the right, and he failed to save par. His tee shot on the 12th was long, and his delicate chip didn’t reach the green, leading to another bogey. And then his 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 13th ran 8 feet by the hole, and he missed the birdie putt.

“Chance that got away,” Rose said. “I was by no means free and clear and was nowhere kind of close to having the job done, but I was right in position. … I was really in control. And the mentality was to run through the finish line, not just try and get it done.

“I was playing great, but just momentum shifted for me around the Amen Corner.”

At the end, it was a now familiar champion, McIlroy, once tormented by his chase for the green jacket and now a two-time winner whose love for the Masters only deepens.

He was so ecstatic a year ago that he asked the media when it was over, “What are we going to talk about next year?” Now the topic is easy. No one has ever won three in a row.