Rory McIlroy enters exclusive group of consecutive Masters winners

Securing victory at the Masters Tournament is a pinnacle accomplishment for any professional golfer. Achieving this feat two consecutive years? Nearly unfeasible.

However, it is not entirely out of reach.

Since the inaugural Masters in 1934, only a select few have accomplished this milestone—a group that expanded from three to four on Sunday when Rory McIlroy became the first golfer to win back-to-back titles at Augusta National since 2002.

As expected, the roster of repeat champions includes some of the sport’s greats, placing McIlroy among esteemed company. Below are the only other golfers who have claimed the Masters title in successive years.

Tiger Woods, 2001 and 2002

Woods’ triumph at the 2001 Masters concluded a remarkable achievement that only he has realized. This victory marked his fourth consecutive major title, and the term for winning four straight majors outside of a single calendar year is known as a “Tiger Slam.”

The accomplishment was secured in spectacular fashion, as Woods finished at 16-under par, the second-lowest final score at the Masters in 25 years. Second-place finisher David Duval recorded a score of 14 under, which would have been sufficient to at least force a playoff in any other edition of the tournament during that quarter-century, except for 1997, when Woods finished 18 under.

The repeat victory was not achieved with the same level of dominance for Woods in 2002. He concluded at 12-under par, edging out second-place finisher Retief Goosen by three strokes—but he still became the first individual to defend their title at Augusta in over ten years.

Nick Faldo, 1989 and 1990

Faldo’s first Masters victory in 1989 required considerable drama. Not only was a playoff necessary, but Faldo and his playoff opponent Scott Hoch remained tied after the first hole of the tiebreaker. Thus, a second hole of sudden-death golf was needed, with Faldo sinking a 25-foot birdie putt to secure the win.

Faldo’s penchant for the dramatic continued with his 1990 victory. Once again, a playoff was essential to determine that year’s champion, as he and 47-year-old Raymond Floyd both finished the final round at 10 strokes under par. Similar to the previous year, multiple playoff holes were required, as both Faldo and Floyd completed Hole 10 in four strokes. The second playoff round once again proved decisive for Faldo, who claimed his second consecutive green jacket at Hole 11.

Jack Nicklaus, 1965 and 1966

As the record holder for the most majors and Masters titles, it is fitting that Nicklaus would be the first golfer to win the event in successive years. However, the level of drama between his back-to-back victories was quite different.

Nicklaus dominated the field in 1965, finishing at 17-under par—a score that has only been surpassed by three other winners in the event’s history. He concluded the final round nine strokes ahead of Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, who tied for second.

The 1966 Masters presented a different scenario. Nicklaus finished the final round at even par, necessitating a playoff to distinguish him from Tommy Jacobs and Gay Brewer. With the sudden-death playoff format not yet in place, the trio played an additional 18 holes on Monday to determine the champion. Nicklaus finished 2-under par for the round, becoming the first repeat champion in Masters history.