McIlroy back as world No. 1 with PGA win
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, August 14, 2012
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts after sealing victory on the 18th green in the PGA Championship on the Ocean Course of the Kiawah Island, South Carolina, on Sunday. |
Rory McIlroy has returned to the world No. 1 spot in the latest golf rankings after his record-breaking victory at the US PGA championship at Kiawah Island, South Carolina on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Northern Irishman closed with a 6-under 66 in the final major championship of the season, with a record-setting 8-shot victory on the wind-swept Ocean Course, to vault ahead of England's Luke Donald in the rankings.
McIlroy first earned the No. 1 ranking earlier this year after his Honda Classic victory on the PGA Tour but, 10 weeks after being dethroned by Donald, he finds himself back on top once again. McIlroy capped his brilliant bogey-free performance with a 24-foot birdie putt on the last hole to reach a 13-under 275 total.
"I played solid all throughout the week," McIlroy said. "I thought my putting today was phenomenal. It has been an incredible week. I had a good feeling about it at the start. But I never imagined to do this."
The challengers all fell by the wayside as McIlroy earned his second dominating major championship win. He won the 2011 US Open also by a whopping eight strokes.
England's David Lynn finished alone in second after shooting a 4-under 68 to finish at 5-under 283. Justin Rose (66), Ian Poulter (69), Keegan Bradley (68) and McIlroy's playing partner Carl Pettersson (72) finished in a four-way tie for third at 4-under 284. Blake Adams, Jamie Donaldson, Peter Hanson and Steve Stricker all finished at 3 under, 10 shots adrift of McIlroy.
McIlroy, who earned US$1.4 million in prize money, ended up having to play 27 holes on Sunday. He began his fourth round with a three-stroke lead after finishing off nine holes of the suspended third round early on Sunday.
McIlroy became the first player this year to convert a 54-hole lead in a major championship into a victory. He also puts his name on the Wanamaker Trophy alongside some of the games' best golfers in history.
McIlroy not only becomes the youngest player to win the PGA Championship since it went to stroke play in 1958 but he sets the all-time record for widest margin of victory in tournament history. The previous record of 7 shots was held by Jack Nicklaus.
"It means an awful lot to look at the names on that trophy and put my name alongside theirs," McIlroy said. "This is something very special and I am just going to enjoy this tonight."
Pettersson, Poulter, Rose and Tiger Woods all threatened at certain times but no one was able to keep pace with the on-fire McIlroy down the stretch.
"There was only one winner today. Rory played great," said Pettersson, who was slapped with a two-stroke penalty on the first hole for "moving a loose impediment in a hazard".
Woods shot a final round even-par 72 to finish in a tie for 11th at two-under 288.
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