Rory McIlroy speaking to Jim Nantz and Fred Ridley in Butler’s Cabin, receiving the Green Jacket for winning the 2026 Masters:
“I can’t believe I waited 17 years for one green jacket and I get two in a row!
“It’s just sort of the way, I think all my perseverance at this golf tournament over the years has really started to pay off. It was a tough weekend, I did the bulk of my work on Thursday and Friday, but I’m just so happy to hang in there and get the job done.
“It felt pretty similar to last year, I made a double early on the first hole last year, I made a double on four this year. I played flawless golf after that. I made four birdies and no bogeys until the 18th. It’s nice to go in with a two-shot cushion instead of one like I had last year.
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“I looked at the board after I made a bogey on 6 and I think I went back to nine under at that point, I thought okay if I get to 14 under I thought I have a great chance of winning this tournament. I didn’t quite get there, I got to 13. 13 was enough standing on the 18th tee.
“I think the tee shot on 12 and the tee shot on 13 were key. I struggled with the tee shot on 13 was up in the pine straw there a few too many times. I made a really good committed swing on the 13th tee and to make birdie there after the birdie on 12, that was massive.
“It’s the second Major win my mum has been at, she was at Hoylake in 2014 so there was a piece of them that didn’t want to come this year, because they didn’t come last year and maybe that was the reason [that I won], I’m so glad that they got to experience that today. We’re all going to have a great time tonight.
“I checked the scoreboards after the rough start. I needed to know where I was in the tournament. I thought if I could get back to even par for the day, which I did with birdies on 7 and 8, I was going to be right there on the back nine. I was keeping an eye all day. There were a few guys making a run, but nobody like Justin last year. I’m fortunate the guys didn’t really come at me this year either.
“Thank you for all support back home. I was a little kid with a dream, the support that I have from my family and friends, everyone back home. Some people probably thought it was outlandish to dream the things I wanted to do, but I had amazing support from back home and I can’t thank them enough for that support.”
