Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy locked in another last-day tussle for Masters glory
By Carl Markham, Press Association, Augusta
Defending champion Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose were locked in another final-day tussle for the green jacket at Augusta National as they had been 12 months ago.
Then it came down to a play-off which the Northern Irishman won to secure the career grand slam as his Ryder Cup team-mate had started well ahead of him and charged through the field with a brilliant 66.
This time around the Englishman, in the third-last group, was able to make some frontrunning of his own as four birdies in five holes to the turn lifted him to 12 under.
The second nine upcoming. #themasters pic.twitter.com/W7hZVaTKZW
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 12, 2026
That was one better than McIlroy, who was level-par for his round after three birdies, a double-bogey and bogey.
Coming up fast on the rails was another Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, who had started the day seven off the lead.
He had an eagle, two birdies and two bogeys in his first 10 holes but found a late hot streak to birdie four successive holes from the 13th to get within two of the lead.
Two-time champion and world number one Scottie Scheffler had threatened to make his move after two birdies in his first three holes but his momentum stalled and was stuck on nine under through 12 holes.
McIlroy had displayed more control than 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.
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 Rose at the top of the leaderboard but missed a short birdie putt at the ninth to sit one back.
Playing partner Cameron Young, one of the players who had claimed the lead over the front nine, dropped three shots in four holes to the turn to fall alongside Hatton on 10 under.
