Rory McIlroy holds the largest 36-hole lead in Masters Tournament history entering the weekend, boding well for his chances to defend his 2025 title.
McIlroy built his six-stroke lead with a masterful showing in Friday’s second round, carding a 7-under 65. That included nine birdies to just two bogeys.
If McIlroy becomes just the fourth man to go back to back at Augusta National, one of the biggest questions is what happens to the green jacket ceremony?
We haven’t had to find out the answer since 2002, but there is a precedent for this rare break in tradition.
How the Masters green jacket ceremony normally works
At most tournaments, including the other three majors, the trophy is the big prize at the end. While the Masters winner does receive a beautiful trophy shaped like the clubhouse at Augusta National Golf Club, the big prize is the green jacket — something only members of the club and Masters winners get to wear.
The green jacket ceremony takes place in two parts. First, it’s awarded in a made-for-TV ceremony in the basement of Butler Cabin, and then a second presentation takes place on the nearby Terrace Putting Green in front of patrons and officials.
In any given year, the previous year’s Masters champion helps the new winner into the jacket. For example, Scottie Scheffler won in 2024, so he had the honor of putting the jacket on McIlroy in 2025. The previous year’s champion does this for both parts of the ceremony.
This is the 90th edition of the Masters Tournament. Of the 89 prior editions, there have only been three instances of a champion repeating: Jack Nicklaus ('65, ’66), Nick Faldo ('89, ’90) and Tiger Woods ('01, ’02).
What happens if the defending champion wins again?
If the defending champion wins the Masters again, the most recent precedent is for the Augusta National Golf Club chairman to put the jacket on him.
This was the case in 2002, when then-chairman Hootie Johnson put the jacket on Woods. It was the same case in 1990, when then-chairman Hord Hardin put the jacket on Faldo.
The only time the chairman wasn’t the one putting the jacket on the defending champion was the first time a player went back to back: Nicklaus in 1966. That year, a 26-year-old Nicklaus slipped the jacket on himself.
What would it look like for Rory McIlroy to win his second Masters title on Sunday?
A weight was lifted off McIlroy’s shoulders a year ago, when he finally completed the career grand slam after a nearly 11-year major drought. Now, it seems like a totally different player is walking the Augusta National grounds.
Instead of being one of the last to arrive to the course, McIlroy was one of the first, taking in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals last weekend. At one point in the pre-tournament festivities, he said he could stay in that bubble forever and not care if the tournament ever started.
“I think the nice thing now is instead of it being come on, Rory, you know you can do this, it’s back to back,” McIlroy said in his pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday. “There’s a real positive connotation to it instead of, geez, Rory, we’ve been waiting a while. When are you going to get this done? It’s just very different, and maybe that’s just my perception of it. But it is so nice to walk around property or be out on the golf course and, yeah, just not have that hanging over me, like it feels that it’s a big weight off my shoulders.”
That weightlessness has translated to the course in a pretty remarkable way. Despite ranking 90th in the field in driving accuracy, McIlroy’s length, approach and putting game has shown why he is one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
“You think every time you achieve something or have success that you’ll be happy, but then the goalposts move, and they just keep nudging a little bit further and further out of reach,” McIlroy said. “I think what I’ve realized is, if you can just really find enjoyment in the journey, that’s the big thing, because, honestly, I felt like the career grand slam was my destination, and I got there, and then I realized it wasn’t the destination.”
The biggest competition McIlroy had in all those years of missing out on the green jacket was himself. He could enter Butler Cabin on Sunday as the defending champion and winner, with that bit of perspective leading him to another Masters title sooner than anyone expected.
What time is the green jacket ceremony at the Masters?
The green jacket ceremony takes place immediately after play concludes and the winner signs his scorecard. The order of ceremonies is Butler Cabin first and Terrace Putting Green second.
