TL;DR
McIlroy becomes the fourth man to win consecutive Masters, then hosts a Champions Dinner worth every calorie.
MSM Perspective
The Athletic profiles McIlroy as the fourth consecutive Masters winner, joining Nicklaus, Faldo, and Woods.
X Perspective
Golf Twitter treating McIlroy's second jacket as coronation rather than just another major.
Rory McIlroy's second consecutive Masters victory Sunday did not merely add a sixth major to his résumé. It placed the Northern Irishman alongside Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods — the only men to win back-to-back green jackets. [1]
The 36-year-old defended his title with the composure of someone who had waited a decade to belong at Augusta's top table, then proved it was no fluke. His final-round performance left the field behind and closed an argument about whether his 2025 breakthrough was a career peak or a career turn. It was the latter.
By Tuesday evening, McIlroy had traded the course for the dining room. Thirty-three past champions gathered for the annual Champions Dinner, where the defending champion hosts. McIlroy's menu featured world-class wine — the tab on bottles alone could reportedly top $50,000 — and an off-the-charts pudding that drew remarks from Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. [2]
The dinner is golf's most exclusive annual meal. McIlroy, who once watched the party from his car outside the gates, now sits at its head. The distance between those two moments tells a story about persistence that transcends the sport.
The question shifts to 2027: can he make it three?
— AMARA OKONKWO, Lagos
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