To win last year, McIlroy needed to beat Justin Rose – who finished tied third on Sunday having led by two at the turn – in a sudden death play-off after bogeying the 72nd hole.

And he did not make it much easier for himself this time around. Having scorched the field to take a record six-shot lead after 36 holes, he stuttered to a one-over 73 on Saturday.

Tied with Young going into Sunday, Northern Ireland’s McIlroy heaped pressure on himself with a sloppy double-bogey five on the fourth after three-putting from eight feet.

He dropped another shot at the par-three sixth, but after mixing four birdies with seven pars to build a two-shot lead over world number one Scheffler heading to the last, he said his “greatest stress” on Sunday was not knowing where his ball ended up on the 18th after flailing his drive right and in among the trees.

“It could go anywhere. It could be anywhere,” added the world number two, who also drew level with Americans Phil Mickelson and Lee Trevino on six majors.

“There were a few others. I thought my second putt on 11 was huge to avoid making bogey there.”

Despite falling behind Young and Rose, and with Scheffler creeping up the leaderboard, McIlroy insisted he never felt as though his chance had slipped away.

“If I hadn’t birdied the seventh and eighth holes, I would have started to push a little bit,” added the 36-year-old, who became just the sixth wire-to-wire Masters winner.

“But I think the birdies on seven and eight, Justin bogeying 11 and 12, and then me birdieing 12, I never felt like I was out of it. I never felt like I had to press at all.”

Rory McIlroy is already targeting more majors after becoming only the fourth man to win back-to-back Masters titles.

The Northern Irishman’s one-shot victory over world number one Scottie Scheffler took his career tally to six.

But having waited a decade between his fourth and fifth, which secured the career grand slam a year ago, the desire for more still drives the 36-year-old.

“It took me 10 years to win my fifth major, and then my sixth one’s come pretty soon after it,” he said.

“I’m not putting a number on it but I certainly don’t want to stop here.”

While this victory was not as emotional as a year ago, when he broke down in tears on the final green, it was no less special for McIlroy as he had his parents Rosie and Gerry here after they missed out 12 months ago.

For that reason, it had even more personal resonance.

“I caught myself on the golf course a couple of times thinking about them and I was like ‘No, not yet, not yet’,” he said.

“It’s really cool to have them here. They missed it last year and the first thing I wanted to do was fly home to see them because I obviously wouldn’t be sitting up here if it wasn’t for them.

“I had to sort of convince them to come this year because they thought the reason I won last year was because they weren’t here.

“When the ball trickled by and I marked it there from two inches or whatever (at the last) I just looked at the back of the green because I saw my mum and dad and Erica (his wife) and Poppy (his daughter) and I was just like ‘I can’t believe I’ve just done it again’.

“Not as emotional, but just, wow, it’s amazing. I can’t believe I did it again.”

“I said on the putting green that I’m glad we proved that wrong, so they can keep coming as long as they want. It’s amazing to have them here. I’m excited to celebrate with them tonight.”

McIlroy looked a certainty to win with a six-shot lead on Friday night but starting the day level with Cameron Young on 11 under having squandered that advantage there were more than a few moments when a victory looked in doubt.

There was a stage when he was two behind but he finally kicked into gear with back-to-back birdies at the seventh and eighth and when then-leader Justin Rose, who lost to him in a play-off a year ago, played Amen Corner in two over par, McIlroy seized the initiative with birdies as the 12th and 13th to move into the outright lead again.

Even with a two-stroke advantage he served up some drama on the 18th tee by carving his drive into the Georgia pines, where had already spent a lot of time this week.

“I’d say walking off the 18th tee not knowing where my ball was the moment of greatest stress (as) it could be anywhere,” he added.

“I don’t make it easy. I used to make it easy back in my early 20s when I was winning these things by eight shots.

“It’s hard to win golf tournaments, especially around here.

“You’ve had maybe a couple of runaway winners over the years but it always seems to be a very tight finish at this golf course.

“I thought it was so difficult to win last year because of trying to win the Masters and the grand slam, and then this year I realised it’s just really difficult to win the Masters.

“Just absolutely delighted to be able to get it done. Having a six-shot lead going into the weekend it would have been a bitter pill to swallow if I wasn’t able to get myself over the finish line.”

But why were chocolate bars invented and made in York since 1935 as Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp getting a security convoy in the first place?

It turns out KitKat in Canada took a fresh perspective on shipping and delivery after a well-publicised cargo theft of the company stock in Europe.

As reported by The Press, it follows a reported heist last month of hundreds of thousands of KitKats on their way from a Nestlé production facility in Italy, destined for distribution in Poland.

The cargo, weighing 12 tonnes, disappeared en route and is believed to have been stolen with the company adding in a statement at the time that “the vehicle and its load are still nowhere to be found”.

The brand also told French news agency AFP that the theft may have led to a shortage of KitKats appearing on the shelf and consumers may have “struggled to find their favourite chocolates ahead of Easter.”

In a video from KitKat Canada which featured on The Independent TV website yesterday (April 9), a red KitKat truck is seen leaving a Nestlé warehouse under convoy whilst negotiating Toronto’s city centre and highways.

KitKat in the UK confirmed this was a marketing activity, with a spokesperson saying: “When moments like the reported KitKat heist start to gain traction, they quickly move beyond news and become a shared cultural reference point.

“What KitKat does particularly well is recognise when those moments evolve into a kind of universal language that audiences are already engaging with and then find a way to participate natively rather than imposed.”

A Coleraine man is on a mission to raise awareness for a very rare brain disease which has left his mother bedbound.

Ethan Downey’s 51-year-old mum, Joanne, was diagnosed with Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD), a rare and progressive neurodegenerative disorder.

Speaking about the condition, Ethan said the diagnosis has been a huge shock for the family. He explained that symptoms first began to appear in 2022, including cognitive issues and slurred speech.

While the condition initially appeared to stabilise, her health declined after she was referred to a neurologist in December 2024. Ethan is now spreading awareness about the condition and raising money for the PSP Association as he takes on the Belfast City Marathon on May 3. The 20-year-old has been training hard and launched a campaign on GoFundMe.

Ethan said, “It has been a shock to everyone. Since 2022, my mum Joanne has been showing symptoms of it, cognitive issues and some slurred speech. It appeared stagnant for a few years, but in December 2024, she was referred to a neurologist, and now it has culminated in her being bedbound.

“It has been difficult for the family seeing this progress so quickly. Even the doctors aren’t fully aware of the stages of what is happening, it can be a bit confusing sometimes to know where we are with it. Our faith in Jesus has helped us tremendously during these difficult times.

“The whole goal behind running the marathon is to raise money and awareness for CBD. It is a degenerative disease where the brain shuts down, and it is a very rare condition, especially in the UK. I am looking to help in any way I can, and to help raise money for research. Hopefully, it will help other people who are diagnosed in the future.

“I’ve always played football growing up, so it has kept me football fit, but alongside that, I’ve done maybe some five km. Since about November I have been increasing the distance, using different apps and creating running programmes.“I have been progressing in my distances and I have enjoyed it so far. The fact I am doing it for my mum has helped me get through it. The longer runs are starting to come in now. This will be my first full marathon. I’ve done a few half-marathon distances before, but this will be something different.“I am raising money for the PSP Association, they support people with the condition and help better their lives. They also help with research. They also raise awareness on something that tends to go under the radar and sometimes gets misdiagnosed.”

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RHS experts shared their advice to encourage wildflowers and support pollinators in your garden

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A lawn bursting with flowers isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but plenty of gardeners love nothing more than a green space packed with blooms, or dedicate a specific patch to wildflowers to draw in vital pollinators. Yet there’s one common error that could be stopping flowers from taking hold in your grass.

Lawn specialists at the RHS have recommended steering clear of overmowing during spring if you’re keen to encourage wildflowers to flourish. They even suggest holding off until summer before resuming any regular mowing schedule. The experts explained: “With a conventional lawn, mow once a fortnight or once a week, depending on growth.

“For a flower-rich lawn or wildflower meadow, leave uncut in spring to provide much-needed support to pollinators and a welcome break from mowing.”

While you might be tempted to get the mower out a couple of times in April, the specialists advise giving it a complete rest in May, referring to it as “no mow May”.

As the title implies, this simply means putting the mower away for the entire month, allowing any wild plants already established in your garden to grow freely and burst into flower. You can choose to leave your whole lawn untouched, or simply set aside a dedicated section for wildflowers.

Come June, you can resume fortnightly mowing, or hold off even longer should you prefer.

No Mow May was launched in 2019 by UK-based conservation charity Plantlife, to help tackle the devastating loss of flower-rich meadows — 97% of which have disappeared since the 1930s.

Urging gardeners to leave their lawnmowers in the shed this May, Plantlife campaigners say: “No Mow May is one of the easiest ways to help the environment – letting wildflowers like daisies, dandelions and clovers grow while supporting bees and butterflies. (even small wild patches add up to make a huge difference to nature.)”

March was a busy month for officers in the north of the city who carried out searches in over 20 properties

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The PSNI have issued a warning to drug dealers after a proactive month saw officers hit 23 addresses in North Belfast, in targeted efforts against organised crime.

Officers said addresses were searched in the Newlodge, Shankill, Ardoyne, Ballysillan, Antrim Road and Cliftonville areas as part of ongoing efforts to tackle drug dealing across North Belfast.

The force released several images from one of the policing operations carried out in March.

A police spokesperson said, “If you are involved in drug dealing within our communities, be aware that we will take action.

“We remain committed to identifying, disrupting, and arresting those involved in criminal activity.

“If you have concerns about drug-related activity, please contact us on 101, report online here, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

President Trump has unleashed a blistering assault on Pope Leo after the pontiff called for world peace, insisting he must not ‘criticise the President’ and demanding he ‘use common sense’ and ‘stop catering to the radical left’

President Trump has launched an extraordinary attack on the Pope, demanding he must not “criticise the President”.

The outburst was posted on his social media platform, accusing the Pope of being “weak on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”

The US President has escalated his offensive against the Catholic Church, bringing up the 2020 Covid pandemic during which he claims priests were threatened with arrest for holding church services.

In his continued condemnation, Trump took a personal swipe at Pope Leo, declaring, “I like his brother Louis much better”.

He said: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country.

“And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do…

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“Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.”

The criticism comes after the Pope’s comments during a prayer service in Vatican City on Saturday.

He urged world leaders to end hostilities and appealed for peace. Addressing an evening peace vigil at St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Saturday, the first US-born pope made a direct appeal to global leaders to restart discussions.

Leading the service, he stated: “Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life.”

While the Iran-US conflict was not specifically mentioned, the remarks were delivered as talks between the two nations were taking place in Pakistan.

Leo also warned against what he described as “that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive”.

Chief executive Nicola Frampton said: “We’re seeing that for certain occasions, whether that’s a date night or a relaxed evening in, people are increasingly looking for something that feels a bit more like a restaurant experience at home, and this range allows us to tap into those moments.”

About 100 passengers missed their Manchester flight after facing three-hour border control queues at Milan Linate airport, with many reportedly vomiting and passing out in the heat

easyJet passengers were ‘close to passing out’ after being left in sweltering conditions as their flight departed to Manchester without them amid border control chaos.

Around 100 people have been left stranded in Milan on Sunday, April 12 after enduring queues of up to three hours at Milan’s Linate airport due to new border control checks.

As well as concerns over how to get home, many passengers were left vomiting and passing out due to the heat, according to the BBC.

easyJet said it was working to support passengers but that the situation was “outside of our control”.

Lengthy queues formed at the international airport causing chaos, reports the Mirror.

Pictures and videos shared online showed scenes of chaos as lengthy queues formed at the international airport.

The turmoil follows the UK government updating its guidance to people travelling to the European Schengen area, meaning they may have to register biometric details upon arrival.

The implementation of the EU entry and exit system (EES) is an electronic system that replaces the physical stamping of passports when going through boarding control.

The airline said that it held the aircraft for almost an hour extra, but eventually had to depart due to crew working hours.

Passengers have been left disappointed after arriving at the airport in plenty of time and now facing significant delays to return home.

Emily Benn, from Grimsby, was travelling with five others on the 11am flight. Her rebooked flight will now arrive at Gatwick instead of Manchester, resulting in a £400 taxi fare upon landing.

She told the M.E.N: “We got to the airport at 8am and our flight was due to leave Milan Linate at 11am. As soon as our gate came on the board, we went straight to it and there was already a huge queue.

“The queue was for three separate flights, and there were hundreds of passengers all trying to get through. The new EES wasn’t working, so we all had to be checked by two people on passport control.

“It got to 11:20am and we were told the flight had left without us. They put us all on a shuttle bus and sent us back to the arrivals area, where we had to go back to the easyJet desk.

“We were told to rebook flights, so have booked to Gatwick and will then pay £400 for a taxi back to Manchester as that’s where our car is parked. We are a party of five adults and one child, who is due to have spinal surgery in a few days.”

Fellow passengers described the ordeal as a ‘nightmare’ on social media. One posted: “What a nightmare!

“You abandoned me and 122 other passengers in Milan. You flew to Manchester with 34 onboard.

“We queued for three hours and all the time the flight info remained at ‘boarding’ we were then told the delayed flight had left.” An easyJet spokesperson said: “We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control and we advised customers due to fly to allow additional time to make their way through the airport.

“We held flight EJU5420 from Milan to Manchester for nearly an hour to give passengers extra time but it had to then depart due to crew reaching their safety regulated operating hours. Customers who missed the flight have been offered a free flight transfer.

“We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed while EES is implemented, to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers. While this is outside of our control, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused.”