Ryan Fox misses Masters cut as Rory McIlroy claims back-to-back Augusta title
Ryan Fox returned from Augusta empty-handed after missing the cut at the Masters by a single shot, as Rory McIlroy wrote himself into the sport’s history books by becoming the first back-to-back champion at Augusta National in almost a quarter of a century.
Fox fired a 77 on the opening day, with five shots dropped in the first seven holes setting the tone for a difficult week, before a more composed second-round 72 offered something to take from the tournament but could not deliver the saving result. His five-over-par total left him tied 55th and one stroke outside the cut line — the first time the Kiwi has missed the weekend at Augusta after making the cut in each of his two previous appearances there in 2023 and 2024.
The early damage in round one proved fatal to his chances. A flat start at a course that punishes mistakes more harshly than almost any other in the world meant he was chasing the tournament from the opening stretch. He recovered admirably across the remainder of his time at Augusta, including a birdie at the par-five 13th in round two and a chip-in birdie at the 17th that briefly raised hopes. But a missed putt at the 16th and an unsuccessful final-hole attempt to reach the cut line could not save his week.
Fox had arrived at Augusta with questions hanging over his form after a disrupted preparation. Kidney stones forced him to withdraw from the Players Championship in March, cutting short what should have been a valuable run of tournament golf in the lead-up to the first major of the year. That lack of competitive rounds appeared to show in the opening holes at Augusta National, where precision and rhythm are essential from the very first tee shot.
It is a setback for the Kiwi, who has been among the most consistent performers on the DP World Tour in recent years and entered 2026 with ambitions of pressing for a place in more major championship weekends rather than fewer. The Presidents Cup is also on Fox’s horizon, and his preparations for the remainder of the major season will need to account for the disrupted form he showed this week.
While Fox packed his bags after day two, McIlroy was making history just up the leaderboard. The Northern Irishman produced a performance of extraordinary character across four days to defend his Masters title, finishing 12 under par after a dramatic final round that tested him to his limits before ultimately delivering one of the great achievements in modern golf.
McIlroy held a commanding six-stroke lead at the halfway mark but was reeled in during a final round that saw both Cameron Young and then Justin Rose — the man he had beaten in a playoff to claim the title 12 months ago — spend time at the top of the leaderboard. McIlroy found himself two shots behind early in the afternoon before clawing his way back through the demanding Augusta back nine.
The decisive moment came at the final hole, where McIlroy sliced his drive into the trees and appeared for a moment to be on the edge of giving the tournament away. Instead he executed his recovery, made bogey, and won by one stroke from Scottie Scheffler, with Tyrrell Hatton, Rose, Young and Russell Henley all finishing in a share of third place.
The victory was McIlroy’s sixth major title, placing him level with Nick Faldo on the all-time list. More significantly, it made him the first player to win back-to-back Masters since Tiger Woods claimed the title in successive years in 2001 and 2002. He joins a group of just four players who have ever achieved the feat, alongside Jack Nicklaus in 1965 and 1966, and Faldo himself in 1989 and 1990.
For McIlroy, the win caps a remarkable period in his career. After years of near-misses and heartbreak at Augusta — most memorably a final-round collapse in 2011 when he held a four-shot lead going into the final day — he has now won the tournament in consecutive years and established himself as the dominant force in men’s golf. His ability to handle the pressure of a major final round, and to win from a position where many would have crumbled, speaks to a mental toughness hardened by difficult experiences over many years.
New Zealand golf fans will have mixed feelings looking back at the 2026 Masters. Fox’s missed cut was a disappointment, particularly given the circumstances that disrupted his preparation, but there is reason to believe his best golf at major championships is still ahead of him. The form he showed in recovering to an even-par 72 in the second round, with birdies at two of Augusta’s most demanding scoring holes, suggests the quality is there when the foundations are in place.
The next major on the calendar is the PGA Championship, where Fox will be looking to put the Augusta miss behind him and remind the golfing world of why he remains one of the game’s most watchable talents. For full tournament coverage, NZ Herald and Sky Sports have the full breakdown.
Did you stay up to watch the final round? Share your thoughts on Fox’s week and McIlroy’s historic win in the comments below.