Gary Player already said it in 2008: this kid could succeed Tiger himself at the top of world golf. “He has a great team by his side, a huge talent and one of the best swings. If he continues like this, I have no doubt he has the potential to be number one in the world.” Three years later, in 2011, Rory McIlroy (who Player was talking about) was fourth in the world rankings…. and climbing. Especially if he kept up the pace he set for his golf at the U.S. Open that year, where he exhibited a game that had not been seen for many years at the Grand Slam and which resulted in several records.
The almost beardless boy with curly hair born in the Northern Irish village of Holywood became, at 22 years and 46 days, the youngest U.S. Open winner since the legendary Bobby Jones in 1923 and the youngest on the European Tour since it was created. McIlroy broke Seve Ballesteros’ record, who won the British Open at 22 years and 103 days. Rory came close to reaching the all-time major record of 19 under par set by Woods at the 2000 British Open at St. Andrews.
His feat at the Congressional Country Club, in Maryland, was seasoned with some heart-stopping records, as he not only won by eight strokes ahead of the second, the Australian Jason Day, but also won with no less than 16 strokes under par, a tournament record.
No one was surprised by his first Grand Slam victory – his triumph in a major had been predicted for some time – although no one expected it to be by such a large lead and such a crushing score.
Rory enjoyed a triumphant march on Sunday as he carded a 69, two under par. With the score of 268, 16 under par, Macllroy broke a U.S. Open record set by Tiger Woods, who won with -12. at Pebble Beach in 2000.
“The whole week has been unbelievable,” said Mcllroy, who succeeded fellow countryman Graeme McDowell as champion, as he lifted the trophy.
“I know how good Tiger was at Pebble in 2000 and today I went out to try to emulate him in some way. Augusta was a valuable experience. I knew what I had to do today to win. I put some new things into practice and it paid off.”
The Australian Day closed his performance with a 68, three under par, and never really challenged Mcllroy. The third place was shared, ten strokes behind the winner, by the Korean Yang Y.E., US PGA champion in 2009, the Englishman Lee Westwood and the Americans Robert Garrigus and Kevin Chappel.
Of the two Spaniards who made the cut (Miguel Angel Jimenez missed it), the best was Sergio Garcia, seventh, with 279 strokes and tied with Sweden’s Peter Hanson, one stroke behind two Grand Slam champions, Schwartzel and Oosthuizen. Álvaro Quirós could have had a better luck if he hadn’t had a disastrous last round, with 78 strokes, which made him drop to 54th place in the ranking.
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TIGER: “IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE”.
Tiger Woods, who missed the tournament due to injury and has not won a major since the 2008 U.S. Open, sent his congratulations to the young champion. “Congratulations and well done. Let’s enjoy it. This was an impressive performance.”
McIlroy accomplished his feat two months after a collapse so severe that some came to wonder if he could ever recover. On the final day of the Masters he was leading the tournament by four strokes, but after his tenth tee shot fell near a hut on the outskirts of Augusta National he collapsed, had a round of 80 and fell to fifteenth place.
These were then the new U.S. Open marks McIlroy set or shared:
Lowest mid-tournament total: -131; largest mid-tournament lead: -6 (with Woods); Lowest 54-hole total: -199; fastest to -10: 26 holes; fastest at -11: 32 holes; fastest at -12: 34 holes; first at -13: 35 holes; first at -14: 50 holes; first at -15: 55 holes; first at -16: 58 holes; first at -17: 64 holes; highest under par at 72 holes: -16; lowest 72-hole total: 268 (by four).
He also became the third player to shoot all four rounds under 70 strokes in the tournament.
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