Rory McIlroy is backing Justin Rose in his bid to find that elusive second major title and believes he can use his Ryder Cup teammate as a “blueprint” to continue building on his own success.
McIlroy became the fourth player in history to win back-to-back Masters titles, and with his one-shot victory over Scotty Scheffler, he also tied Sir Nick Faldo’s record of six major titles.
The world No. 2 player’s successful title defense comes a year after he completed a career Grand Slam with a dramatic playoff victory over Rose, who is currently a three-time undefeated Masters runner-up.
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Justin Rose insists he’s still aiming for success at the Masters after finishing tied for third behind winner Rory McIlroy and second-place Scottie Scheffler
Rose tried again this year’s contest, and at one point was two shots clear during Sunday’s roller coaster, but then made back-to-back bogeys near Amen Corner and finished tied for third, two strokes behind.
The British player said he would “keep knocking on that door” despite a number of near misses, and McIlroy was impressed with the 45-year-old’s ability to keep fighting as he finished in the top three at a major for the seventh time and the top 10 for the 17th time since his success at the 2013 US Open.
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Justin Rose had two bogeys on the 11th and 12th and made par on the 13th, falling short again at the Masters.
“What he (Rose) is doing at this age is incredible. I think everyone would like to see him win another major because I think he deserves it,” McIlroy told Sky Sports.
“What Rose is doing is like a blueprint for me. I look at him and I feel like I can see myself competing at the highest level when I get to that age.”
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McIlroy took three weeks off from the PGA Tour for the Masters, preparing instead with Augusta National as his “home course,” even though he missed the Arnold Palmer Invitational due to injury and had to struggle in his previous match at The Players.
During this period, McIlroy went on a number of scouting trips, and at a mid-tournament press conference he revealed that he often dropped his daughter Poppy off at school and returned the same day after competing at Augusta National. McIlroy was pleased that his preparation had paid off.
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Highlights from the final round of the Masters, where Rory McIlroy won his second green jacket with a 1-under 71
“I took three weeks into this tournament to make sure my body was right and my preparation was right,” McIlroy added. “I’m not going to do that for every major tournament, because I just can’t do that, but I think I felt like I was the most prepared going into this one than I’ve ever been.
“I’ve played a lot on the golf course and I felt very comfortable going here. Honestly, I’ve been coming here all the time the last few weeks, so it felt like this was my home golf course. I think it’s great to see the preparation pay off.”
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Highlights from Rory McIlroy’s narrow Masters final round win at Augusta National
‘It should have been easier!’ – McIlroy enjoys ‘incredible win’
The Northern Irishman was in complete control of the tournament, building a six-stroke lead at half-time, the largest in the tournament’s history, but after a slow start on the final day, he found himself down three strokes after a third-round 73.
McIlroy responded with four birdies in seven holes near the turn, and even with a bogey on the 72nd hole for the second year in a row, he still had room for victory.
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Rory McIlroy defends his Masters despite bogey on the final hole for a one-stroke victory
“I wish it would have been easier after Friday night, but it’s unbelievable,” McIlroy admitted. “We needed to reset after Saturday night.
“Going back to what Harry (Diamond) said to me this time last year, ‘Dude, you would have taken this on Monday morning.’ If someone told me when I got to Augusta on a Saturday afternoon that I would be tied for first going into the final round, I would have thought, ‘Yeah, I’d definitely take it.’
“I had to remind myself of that. Yeah, I would have definitely (been disappointed) if I had let go of the cushion that I had built up. But Cam (Young) played great, Scottie (Scheffler) played great. I shot 73, but I didn’t shoot 75 or 76 and put myself out there.”
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“I could have done it, but I tried my best and at least took a decent shot to give myself a chance heading into Sunday. It wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t disastrous.”
“We’re all detail-oriented people and sometimes point out a lot of things we could have done better, but it’s nice to know that even when you’re not doing your best, you can still get the job done.”
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Rory McIlroy reveals how he ranked parts of his golf game during the 2026 Masters
“I can do it all!” – Will there be more targets from McIlroy?
McIlroy’s latest win puts him halfway towards his second Grand Slam. A feat previously achieved only by Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, McIlroy now ties for 12th place on the all-time list of major winners and will have a better chance of building on his already impressive career.
“For me, it’s a major, it’s the Ryder Cup, it’s the biggest tournament in the world. That’s what keeps me going and that’s what’s going to keep me going from, say, 36 to 45,” McIlroy insisted.
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Brandel Chamblee and Paul McGinley discuss whether Rory McIlroy is the best European player of all time
He then said, “I have a chance to do all of those things, which is great. I have a chance to win the Masters twice, the PGA Championship twice, the U.S. Open and the British Open twice.”
“I said last year after the Grand Slam that everything else was the cherry on top. After getting over that hurdle last year, I feel like it opens up possibilities for the next few years of my career. This is a great place to be.”
Could McIlroy find even greater success in 2026? The PGA Championship (May 14-17), US Open (June 18-21) and The Open (July 16-19) are all being broadcast live exclusively on Sky Sports. Get and stream Sky Sports without a contract.
