Rory McIlroy's second straight Masters victory was more than just a win. The champion revealed an emotional battle he kept hidden all weekend. He only let it show after seeing his family on the 18th green at Augusta.

"I caught myself on the golf course a couple of times thinking about them, and I was like 'No, not yet, not yet,'" said McIlroy.

That was because the defending champion's parents had initially refused to come to Augusta for the Masters.

"I had to sort of convince them to come this year because they thought the reason I won last year was because they weren't here," Rory McIlroy said at the post-Masters press conference.

The champion also admitted that the sight of his mom, dad, wife, and daughter cheering for him on the green gave him more happiness than the typical relief of a major victory.

However, pressure grew. McIlroy had already lost the massive lead heading into Sunday, and Scottie Scheffler was charging up the leaderboard.

Rory McIlroy on the Pressure of the Final Leaderboard

His emotional toll was exacerbated by an eventful Sunday, where his six-shot advantage at the start of the weekend dwindled, putting him level with Cam Smith after the third round.

"I was two behind going to the 7th tee. I sort of thought, okay, if I can just get back to even-par through nine," said McIlroy.

Rory McIlroy turned the tables with solid birdies at the seventh, eighth, twelfth, and thirteenth holes before finishing at 12-under par to clinch his back-to-back Masters victories.

"I think the birdies on 7 and 8, Justin bogeying 11 and 12, I feel like -- and then me birdieing 12, I never felt like I was out of it," McIlroy added.

Although he closed the tournament with a bogey on the 18th hole, his strong short game, which he rated as “A-plus”, helped him stay ahead by one shot over the field.

"I can't believe I've just done it again. Yeah, more joy, more -- yeah. Not as emotional, but just, wow, it's amazing," Rory McIlroy concluded.

The 2026 champion plans to celebrate with his family before his next tournament.

Follow Club Golf for more.

Written by

Abhishek Sharma

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi