Rory McIlroy was crowned the Masters champion for a second year in a row
Fasika Zelealem Senior Sports Reporter
10:28, 15 Apr 2026
Amanda Balionis and Rory McIlroy (Image: Kieran Cleeves/Augusta National/Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy’s remarkable defence of his Masters crown came despite CBS sports reporter Amanda Balionis ruling him out as a contender for the green jacket. The Holywood man made history on Sunday, joining an elite group as only the fourth golfer to win consecutive Augusta titles, pipping world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler by just one stroke.
Leading up to his sixth major championship win, McIlroy had endured a disappointing start to 2026, going trophy-less until Sunday’s dramatic victory. Scheffler, too, had been without a win since claiming the Desert Classic back in January.
However, the sport’s two leading figures delivered a masterclass in front of a global television audience running into the millions, leaving Balionis somewhat embarrassed after her pre-tournament predictions proved wildly off the mark.
Speaking ahead of last Thursday’s opening round, Balionis notably omitted both McIlroy and Scheffler from her list of 13 possible Masters winners. The reporter – back at Augusta National a year after McIlroy’s maiden triumph there – revealed her picks during an appearance on the Fairway Rollin’ Podcast.
She said: “I have 12 or 13 names, and that doesn’t include Scottie or Rory.” She added: “I don’t think you can just count Bryson (DeChambeau) out. I just think Bryson has such a chip on his shoulder,” reports the Mirror.
“I think about this moment a lot from last year, when he came into the interview room after he thought he’d pretty much given it away, and he had that disaster on 11.” Not only did McIlroy claim the trophy, but Balionis’ forecast looked even further off when DeChambeau didn’t even survive the cut.
Visibly emotional after Sunday’s extraordinary finale, McIlroy delivered a touching tribute to his loved ones, with particularly poignant words reserved for his wife Erica Stoll. He started: “This is the hard part. I want to say a few thank you’s to the people on my left.
“First and foremost, my wife and daughter, Erica and Poppy. They have to put up with me at home and, trust me, sometimes that’s a tough thing to do. But they have been my biggest supporters.
“This has definitely turned into Poppy’s favourite week of the year. I don’t know if it’s because of the Par 3 Tournament or it’s the all-you-can eat ice cream in the players’ services building.” Shifting focus to his mum and dad, McIlroy went on: “And also, I want to thank-not thank, jeez. My mom and dad.
“They weren’t here last year to celebrate with us (last year). Surprisingly, I had to convince them to come this year, because they thought that the reason that I won was because they weren’t here.
“So I’m glad that we proved that wrong. But mom and dad, I owe everything to you. You are the most wonderful parents. If I can be half the parent to Poppy as you were to me, then I know I’ve done a good job.”