What started as a discussion around Rory McIlroy’s preparation has now drawn a response from Brandel Chamblee. The debate picked up after Stephen A. Smith questioned whether McIlroy had an edge over the rest of the field at the Masters Tournament.

Smith pointed to the fact that McIlroy had spent time at Augusta in the weeks leading up to the event, suggesting that kind of access could work in his favour, even if no rules were broken. Chamblee didn’t see it that way.

Responding on X, he made it clear that the opportunity to prepare early wasn’t limited to just one player.

“Every single professional player who qualified for the Masters could go early and play as many practice rounds as they wish,” he wrote. “Just as so many others, including Jack Nicklaus, have done in the past. The only advantage Rory had over the field was his considerable skill.”

McIlroy had spoken about his build-up to the tournament after the win, mentioning that he had spent time at Augusta and felt ready going into the week. That became the talking point, but Chamblee’s response shifts the focus back to performance.

Rory McIlroy went on to win the Masters by one shot, finishing at 12-under and becoming one of the few players to win back-to-back at Augusta.

What Rory McIlroy achieved after his Masters 2026 win

Rory McIlroy’s latest win at the Masters Tournament has added a few big markers to his career.

To start with, he is now a six-time major winner. That puts him alongside Phil Mickelson, Nick Faldo and Lee Trevino on the all-time list.

At Augusta, this win puts him in even rarer company. He has now won the Masters back-to-back, something only Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods had managed before. He is also the first European to win the Masters in consecutive years, with Seve Ballesteros being the first from Europe to win the tournament back in 1980.

There’s also the financial side of it. Rory McIlroy earned $4.5 million from this win, and his total earnings at Augusta have now crossed $13 million. That puts him at the top of the all-time Masters earnings list, ahead of both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Even with all of that he isn’t looking at this as the end point.

“I just won my sixth major and I feel like I’m in a really good spot with my game and my body,” he said. “I don’t want to put a number on it… it’s just a part of the journey. I still have things I want to achieve.”

There are still a few things missing from his resume, including an Olympic medal. But for now, this win has changed where he stands in the game.

After waiting years for his first Masters title, he now has two in a row, and a place among some of the biggest names in golf history.