{"id":2443,"date":"2026-04-13T10:20:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T10:20:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=2443"},"modified":"2026-04-13T10:20:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T10:20:18","slug":"i-won-the-masters-back-to-back-like-rory-mcilroy-hes-not-the-best-golfer-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=2443","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;I won the Masters back-to-back like Rory McIlroy \u2013\u00a0he&#8217;s not the best golfer ever&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_b6bb55\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">A former Masters champion recognised Rory McIlroy&#8217;s standing in the sport of golf but refused to crown him as the sport&#8217;s greatest player<\/h2>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37003453\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland speaks after being awarded the Green Jacket during the Green Jacket Ceremony after winning the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament \" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37003453.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/1_The-Masters-Final-Round.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37003453.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/1_The-Masters-Final-Round.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37003453.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/1_The-Masters-Final-Round.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37003453.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/1_The-Masters-Final-Round.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Rory McIlroy continues to add to his golf legacy\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Rory McIlroy continues to add to his golf legacy<cite aria-label=\"Image: Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Sir Nick Faldo admitted Rory McIlroy is undoubtedly amongst the finest golfers of all time but fell short of declaring the Northern Irishman as the very best. The 36-year-old has already experienced a career most can only imagine and enhanced his standing in the sport on Sunday when retaining his Masters crown at Augusta.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">McIlroy&#8217;s one-under-par round of 71 on Sunday proved sufficient to overcome world No.1 Scottie Scheffler to not only secure a sixth major championship, but also become just the fourth player in history to claim consecutive Masters titles after Jack Nicklaus (1965-66), Faldo (1989-90) and Tiger Woods (2001-02).<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The golfer&#8217;s first Masters victory last year saw him enter the exclusive group of six players to complete the career Grand Slam, as <a aria-label=\"Faldo discussed McIlroy's standing amongst the sport's eliteLink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.express.co.uk\/sport\/golf\/2193269\/rory-mcilroy-masters-nick-faldo\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">Faldo discussed McIlroy&#8217;s standing amongst the sport&#8217;s elite<\/a> following his dramatic play-off triumph over Justin Rose.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The British legend &#8211; who is a six-time major champion &#8211; positioned McIlroy above himself in the hierarchy of golfing greats last year but maintained there are figures ranked ahead of the Holywood-born star.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The 68-year-old told The Times: &#8220;It&#8217;s a whole different kettle of fish nowadays. He&#8217;s done way more than me. He&#8217;s won 29 times in America. Of the all-time greats, I&#8217;d put him fifth. Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack (Nicklaus) and Tiger (Woods). Rory is right there.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span data-testid=\"readmore\" class=\"ReadMore_readmore-prefix__xS44r __className_020eaf\">READ MORE<!-- -->: <span class=\"ReadMore_readmore-link__eF9pN\">Rory McIlroy responds to &#8216;unfair&#8217; accusations after beating Scottie Scheffler to Masters<\/span><\/span><span data-testid=\"readmore\" class=\"ReadMore_readmore-prefix__xS44r __className_020eaf\">READ MORE<!-- -->: <span class=\"ReadMore_readmore-link__eF9pN\">Rory McIlroy retains Masters title and banks over \u00a33.3million as he wins another Green Jacket<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MirrorSport#\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook page<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Reflecting on the various generations of golf, Faldo outlined his thinking behind ranking McIlroy above seven-time major winner Gene Sarazen. The Englishman said: &#8220;No discredit to Gene Sarazen, but that was a completely different era.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;I&#8217;ve hardly seen any footage of him, but achieving the Grand Slam puts you in a different category.&#8221; Faldo appeared to foresee McIlroy securing a second Masters crown when suggesting last year&#8217;s victory could &#8220;set him free&#8221; to bolster his major haul.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-35088921\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"35088921\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.53\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nick Faldo and Rory McIlroy\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article35088921.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/3_gettyimages-72105843-612x612.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article35088921.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/3_gettyimages-72105843-612x612.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article35088921.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/3_gettyimages-72105843-612x612.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article35088921.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/3_gettyimages-72105843-612x612.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Sir Nick Faldo has known Rory McIlroy since his teenage years\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Sir Nick Faldo has known Rory McIlroy since his teenage years<cite aria-label=\"Image: 2006 Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: 2006 Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He said at the time: &#8220;Rory is 35, he&#8217;s as fit as a fiddle, and you&#8217;ve got to believe he&#8217;s really shaken the monkey off his back. I would&#8217;ve thought it&#8217;ll set him free and he might be the unique one to go on and win more majors.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Speaking after his victory, McIlroy paid tribute to his wife Erica Stoll and their daughter Poppy, as he said: &#8220;This is the hard part. I want to say a few thank you\u2019s to the people on my left. First and foremost, my wife and daughter, Erica and Poppy.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37003452\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37003452\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Rory McIlroy (C) of Northern Ireland poses with the Masters trophy during the Green Jacket Ceremony alongside father Gerry (L), mother Rosie (2nd L), wife Erica (2nd R) and daughter Poppy (R) after winning during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37003452.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/3_The-Masters-Final-Round.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37003452.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/3_The-Masters-Final-Round.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37003452.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/3_The-Masters-Final-Round.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37003452.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/3_The-Masters-Final-Round.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"The 36-year-old was surrounded by his family on Sunday\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">The 36-year-old was surrounded by his family on Sunday<cite aria-label=\"Image: Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;They have to put up with me at home and, trust me, sometimes that\u2019s a tough thing to do. But they have been my biggest supporters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;This has definitely turned into Poppy\u2019s favourite week of the year. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s because of the Par 3 Tournament or it\u2019s the all-you-can eat ice cream in the players\u2019 services building.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"AffiliateContentsEmbed_affiliate-contents-container__oTiet\" data-testid=\"affiliate-contents-embed\">\n<div data-testid=\"affiliate-content\" class=\"AffiliateContent_affiliate-content-container__10EX_ affiliate-content\">\n<p>Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package<\/p>\n<div class=\"AffiliateDisclaimer_affiliate-disclaimer__dG5ST\">\n<div class=\"AffiliateDisclaimer_affiliate-text__8nmDa\">This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"AffiliateContent_section-container__JMDzM AffiliateContent_content-details__U6C2M AffiliateContent_has-content-img___LY95\">\n<div class=\"AffiliateContent_section-content__QCkL9\">\n<div class=\"AffiliateContent_content-image__FxPNL\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Content Image\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article33404045.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s510b\/0_Sky-Factbox.jpg\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"AffiliateContent_section-container__JMDzM\">\n<div id=\"product-description\" class=\"AffiliateContent_section-content__QCkL9\">\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside <!-- -->Formula 1, darts and golf.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A former Masters champion recognised Rory McIlroy&#8217;s standing in the sport of golf but refused<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2444,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2443"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2443\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}