Rory McIlroy never let anyone get close. Instead, this U.S. Open
performance will go down as one of the most dominant in
major-championship annals.
By Jeff Shain – The Orlando Sentinel
BETHESDA, Md. – Rory McIlroy never let anyone get close. Instead, this U.S. Open performance will go down as one of the most dominant in major-championship annals.
The 22-year-old pro turned Sunday’s final round into a coronation march at Congressional Country Club, smashing the Open scoring record by four shots on the way to an eight-shot romp.
“The whole week’s been incredible,” McIlroy said as he received the Open trophy. “I couldn’t ask for much more.”
Two birdies in McIlroy’s first four holes removed any demons from his Masters Sunday collapse two months ago. The Northern Ireland native cruised home with a 2-under-par 69, his highest score of the week but easily enough to get the job done.
McIlroy finished at 16-under 268, blitzing the previous Open record of 272 set by Jack Nicklaus in 1980 and later matched by Lee Janzen (1993), Tiger Woods (2000) and Jim Furyk (2003).
“It’s not amazing that he’s going to win a major,” said three-time major champion Padraig Harrington, “but it’s amazing how comfortably he’s lapping the field.”
Though McIlroy couldn’t approach Woods’ record winning margin of 15 shots when he scorched Pebble Beach, it goes down as No.4 on the list. Willie Smith was 11 up on the field in 1899; James Barnes won by nine in 1921.
It was a vastly different epilogue than what transpired at the Masters.
McIlroy admits he played defensively at Augusta National, watching it backfire when a four-shot lead to begin the final day had dwindled to one by the turn. A triple bogey at No.10 erased what was left, setting him down the road to a back-nine 43.
He kept the hammer down until late at Congressional. McIlroy’s approach at No.1 stopped eight feet from the flagstick for birdie, then knocking one even closer for birdie at No.4.
After making the turn in 2-under, the Ulsterman ripped a tee shot at the par-3 10th that nearly turned into a hole-in-one – trickling toward the hole until it stopped 6 inches away. The tap-in moved him to 17-under, another Open record.
“That was the point in the round,” McIlroy said, “that I felt it was mine to lose.”
Australia’s Jason Day claimed the runner-up medal, posting a 68 to give him second place in back-to-back majors. He finished two shots ahead of a quartet at 6-under: former PGA Championship winner Y.E. Yang, Lee Westwood and Americans Kevin Chappell and Robert Garrigus.
McIlroy became the youngest Open champion since Bobby Jones, then 21, won the first of his four titles in 1923. Only two other men have won it at a younger age _ Johnny McDermott (19) at the 1911 Open and Francis Ouimet (20) two years later.
“He has probably the most talent I’ve ever seen from a golfer,” said Luke Donald, No.1 in the world rankings. “Lovely to watch him play – such a fluid motion, and he hits it far. He’s got a great attitude on and off the golf course.”
Said Graeme McDowell, the outgoing Open champion: “Nothing this kid does ever surprises me. He’s the best player I’ve ever seen.”
