McIlroy breaks several records en route to capturing his first major title

BETHESDA (Maryland): Rory McIlroy captured his first major golf title in historic fashion on Sunday, turning the final round of the 111th US Open into a virtual victory lap on his way to an eight-stroke triumph.

The 22-year-old Northern Ireland prodigy fired a two-under 69 to finish 72 holes at Congressional Country Club on 16-under 268, the lowest winning total in US Open history, and become the youngest US Open winner in 88 years.

“The whole week has been incredible,” McIlroy said. “I couldn’t ask for much more. I’m just happy to be holding this trophy.”

The Ulsterman humbled course and rivals the same way 21-year-old Tiger Woods ripped apart Augusta National and overwhelmed the field in the 1997 Masters for the first of his 14 career major triumphs.

Proud moment: Rory McIlroy posing with the trophy after winning the US Open tournament by eight strokes in Bethesda, Maryland on Sunday. – AP

McIlroy became the youngest major winner since Woods at the 1997 Masters and the youngest US Open winner since Bobby Jones in 1923.

“Heck of a performance,” Woods said in a statement. “Congrats and well done. Enjoy it. This was an impressive performance.”

Woods missed the US Open with a left knee injury but his record-setting 15-shot romp at Pebble Beach at the 2000 US Open was in McIlroy’s thoughts.

“Do I know how good Tiger was in 2000? I was going out there and trying to emulate him in some way,” McIlroy said. “I was great for four days and I couldn’t be happier.”

Masters runner-up Jason Day of Australia was a distant second on 276. South Korean Yang Yong-eun, England’s Lee Westwood and Americans Robert Garrigus and Kevin Chappell shared third on 278 but none made a serious bid to deny McIlroy a wire-to-wire victory.

With earlier scores of 65, 66 and 68, McIlroy became only the third player in US Open history to complete four rounds in the 60s, matching Lee Janzen and Lee Trevino in achieving the feat.

McIlroy, who has led seven of the eight major rounds completed this year, began the day with an eight-stroke lead over final-group partner Yong-eun and made the turn with the margin intact.

McIlroy, had squandered a four-stroke lead after 54 holes at the Masters two months ago, a woeful tee shot at the 10th leading to a triple bogey on his way to a final-round 80.

But when McIlroy came to Congressional’s par-three 10th hole, he launched the ball safely onto the green and it rolled back inches from the cup to set up a tap-in birdie.

“I’m very happy with a two there any day,” McIlroy said. “That was the point in the round where I felt it was mine to lose... I knew I had to do something pretty bad to lose it.”

The birdie put McIlroy to 17-under, five-strokes lower to par than any player at any point in any US Open ever played, and all-but ended any notion McIlroy would repeat his nightmare back-nine from Augusta National.

“Augusta was a very valuable experience for me,” McIlroy said. “I learned a few things about myself and my game and I put them into practice. I knew what I had to do to win.”

McIlroy’s first three-putt green of the week came on the 71st hole and cost him a bogey but the boy wonder parred the 18th with a tap-in and pumped his first with joy before celebrating with his father Gerry.

“Happy Father’s Day dad,” McIlroy said. “This is for you.”

McIlroy, who jumps from eighth to fourth in the world rankings, became the 11th different winner in the past 11 majors. His triumph also marked the fifth major in a row without an American winner, the longest US major drought in history.

McIlroy followed countryman Graeme McDowell in hoisting the US Open trophy.

“For such a small nation to win two US Opens in a row is pretty special,” McIlroy said. “There will be a lot of pints of Guinness going down. I know a few of my friends will be out partying. I can’t wait to join them.” – AFP

Final round scores

268: Rory McIlroy (Nir) 65-66-68-69; 276: Jason Day (Aus) 71-72-65-68; 278: Kevin Chappell (US) 76-67-69-66, Robert Garrigus (US) 70-70-68-70, Lee Westwood (Eng) 75-68-65-70, Yang Yong-eun (Kor) 68-69-70-71; 279: Peter Hanson (Swe) 72-71-69-67, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 69-71-69-70;

280: Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 68-74-72-66, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 69-73-71-67; 281: Brandt Snedeker (Rsa) 70-70-72-69, Heath Slocum (US) 71-70-70-70, Davis Love (US) 70-71-70-70; 282: Graeme McDowell (Nir) 70-74-69-69, Bo Van Pelt (US) 76-67-68-71, Matt Kuchar (US) 72-68-69-73, Fredrik Jacobson (US) 74-69-66-73; 283: Johan Edfors (Swe) 70-72-74-67, Steve Stricker (US) 75-69-69-70; 284: Ryan Palmer (US) 69-72-73-70, Patrick Cantlay (US) 75-67-70-72; 285: Robert Rock (Eng) 70-71-76-68, Gary Woodland (US) 73-71-73-68, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 73-73-71-68, Dustin Johnson (US) 75-71-69-70, Bill Haas (US) 73-73-68-71, Brandt Jobe (US) 71-70-70-74, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 70-72-69-74;

286: Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn) 74-70-74-68, Gregory Havret (Fra) 77-69-71-69, Noh Seung-yul (Kor) 72-70-73-71, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 72-73-70-71, John Senden (Aus) 70-72-72-72, Kim Do-hoon (Kor) 73-71-70-72, Harrison Frazar (US) 72-73-68-73, Zach Johnson (US) 71-69-72-74, Kim Kyung-tae (Kor) 69-72-69-76; 287: Adam Hadwin (Can) 75-71-73-68, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 74-70-72-71, Kang Sung-hoon (Kor) 74-72-70-71; 288: Bae Sang-moon (Kor) 75-71-75-67, Lucas Glover (US) 76-69-73-70, Russell Henley (US) 73-69-71-75; 289: Luke Donald (Eng) 74-72-74-69, Charley Hoffman (US) 71-74-75-69, Michael Putnam (US) 74-71-73-71, Chez Reavie (US) 70-75-72-72, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 79-67-71-72, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 71-73-72-73;

290: Scott Piercy (US) 73-71-76-70, Alexander Noren (Swe) 75-67-74-74, Marc Leishman (US) 73-69-72-76; 291: Todd Hamilton (US) 73-72-77-69, J.J. Henry (US) 72-73-76-70, Anthony Kim (US) 74-72-75-70, Phil Mickelson (US) 74-69-77-71, Matteo Manassero (Ita) 74-72-73-72, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 74-70-74-73, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 70-71-72-78;292: Justin Hicks (US) 74-71-76-71, Marcel Siem (Ger) 79-66-74-73;

293: Bubba Watson (US) 71-75-74-73, Brian Gay (US) 73-71-74-75, Jeff Overton (US) 72-72-74-75, Bud Cauley (US) 71-72-74-76; 295:Kevin Streelman (US) 73-73-74-75; 297: Alexandre Rocha (Bra) 69-76-76-76, Christo Greyling (Rsa) 72-74-75-76, Kenichi Kuboya (Jpn) 73-73-74-77; 303: Wes Hefferman (Can) 75-71-79-78;

305: Brad Benjamin (US) 72-73-80-80.