After a captivating final round at Augusta National, Rory McIlroy beat Scottie Scheffler by one at The Masters to become the first back-to-back winner since Tiger Woods in 2002.
While that is a notable achievement, it also means he has now won the Green Jacket the same number of times as another European great, Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros – a point not lost on Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.
Donald even went as far as to say that the Northern Irishman is now the best golfer Europe has ever produced, writing on X: “Tying Seve with 2 green jackets will mean a lot to Rory. He is undoubtedly the best European golfer of all time now. Congratulations @McIlroyRory.”
Tying Seve with 2 green jackets will mean a lot to Rory. He is undoubtedly the best European golfer of all time now. Congratulations @McIlroyRoryApril 12, 2026
Ballesteros made history with his first Masters title, which came in 1980, as he became the first European to win the Green Jacket, before taking the title at Augusta National again three years later.
Since then, several European players have gone on to claim victory in the Major, including German Bernhard Langer and Ballesteros’ compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal, who have also won it twice.
Meanwhile, another European, Englishman Nick Faldo, won it three times, as well as completing back-to-back titles in 1990.
Regardless of whether or not McIlroy is now the greatest European golfer of all time, Donald is undoubtedly correct that being in the same company as Ballesteros with two wins will mean a lot to him.
McIlroy’s admiration for Ballesteros, who passed away in 2011, was evident in November when he won his seventh Race to Dubai title, taking him beyond the Spaniard’s total.
At the time, he said: "He means so much to this Tour and the European Ryder Cup team. We rally so much around his spirit and around his quotes and everything he meant for European golf.
"To equal him last year was cool, but to surpass him this year, I didn't get this far in my dreams, so it's very cool."
The latest glorious moment of McIlroy’s career means he now has six Major titles, the same as Faldo, and, following his victory, he stressed that there is more to come, even if the debate over the greatest European golfer isn't settled.
He said: "Today I tied Nick, so yeah, there's obviously going to be that conversation, and that debate is going to be hard. But it's a cool conversation to be a part of.
"Again, it took me 10 years to win my fifth Major, and then my sixth one's come pretty soon after it. I'm not putting a number on it, but I certainly don't want to stop here."
He also said that he has plenty of ambition left to cement his legacy even more than he already has.
“I said at the start of the weekend here I felt like the Grand Slam was the destination, and I realized it wasn't,” explained McIlroy.
“I'm on this journey to - I don't know, I just won my sixth Major, and I feel like I'm in a really good spot with my game and my body.
“I don't want to put a number on it, but I feel like this win is just - I don't want to say a stop on the journey, but yeah, it's just a part of the journey. I still have things I want to achieve, but I still want to enjoy it as well.”
