The three biggest winners and losers from The Masters as Rory McIlroy defends his title

Another edition of The Masters has now reached its conclusion, with Rory McIlroy going back-to-back at Augusta.

McIlroy edged out Scottie Scheffler by one shot to claim his second title at The Masters and sixth career major win.

In a hugely entertaining final round, a lengthy list of players were constantly in contention for the green jacket, but ultimately none could steal it from the Northern Irishman.

It brought a fitting end to a dramatic tournament, at which there were three big winners and three big losers.

The three biggest winners at The Masters

Rory McIlroy

Unsurprisingly, McIlroy was once again the biggest winner at The Masters this year, having not been favored by many to defend his title.

But he did exactly that in true McIlroy fashion, following in the footsteps of Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.

And he’s not only confirmed his status as the greatest European golfer ever with the success, but as one of the greatest golfers of all time.

Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images

Tyrrell Hatton

LIV Golf players were certainly under the spotlight heading into the first major of the 2026 season at Augusta.

Their PGA Tour counterparts combined to win all four majors in 2025, piling the pressure on those from the breakaway tour to step up and show their worth on the biggest stage.

They missed another chance to do that at Augusta, but Hatton can leave with his head held very high.

He carded rounds of 74, 66, 72 and 66 to end his week on 10-under, just two shots off McIlroy in a tie for third.

Mason Howell

Another player who got close to McIlroy at The Masters was amateur Mason Howell, but in a physical sense as opposed to on the leaderboard.

Having been partnered with the defending champion for the first two rounds, Howell learned so much from McIlroy, which is certain to stand him in good stead for the near future.

The 18-year-old also impressed at stages, but he was ultimately among those to miss the cut after finishing on nine-over.

The three biggest losers at The Masters

Robert MacIntyre

Much more surprisingly, Robert MacIntyre also missed the cut after a simply disastrous trip to Georgia, where he finished on seven-under.

The Scot was among the in-form players entering the tournament, finishing fourth at The Players Championship and T2 at the Valero Texas Open.

But even more shocking than his early exit, MacIntyre completely lost his temper on day one, smashing his club off the ground and showing his middle finger amid a very frustrating round.

Sergio Garcia

MacIntyre wasn’t the only player to lose his cool at Augusta, which certainly doesn’t condone such behaviour, and nor should it.

Sergio Garcia, a former Masters winner no less, smashed his driver off the ground and against a water cooler at the tee box during his final round.

Golf fans think Garcia should be banned from The Masters for his actions, which certainly weren’t a good look for the Spanish veteran.

Bryson DeChambeau

Unfortunately for LIV Golf, Garcia’s outburst was perhaps the least of their worries at The Masters.

The Saudi-backed league had 10 players start the week at Augusta, with particular excitement surrounding Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.

Rahm finished in a tie for 38th after narrowly making the cut, which is a feat that DeChambeau failed to achieve.

The two players occupy the top two places in the 2026 LIV Golf individual standings, but both endured real disappointment in Georgia.

That was particularly true for two-time major winner DeChambeau, who carded rounds of 76 and 74 to finish on six-over, missing the four-over cut line.

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