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FIRST MAJOR WIN: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland poses with the trophy after his eight-stroke victory the 111th U.S. Open golf tournament at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. (David Canon/Getty Images)
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy shot a final round 69 on Sunday to win golf’s 111th US Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. The 22-year-old McIlroy ran away from the field, winning by 8 shots, and breaking the all-time US Open scoring record (268) by four shots en route to winning his first-ever major golf championship.
McIlroy had an eight-shot lead heading into Sunday afternoon’s final round. He had already set a new 36-hole scoring record (-11, 131) and broke the 54 hole scoring record (-14, 199). Even though the lead was so large and records were falling by the wayside, there was still a slight bit of doubt whether the youngster could harness his nerves and close out a major victory.
In last year’s British Open, McIlroy tied the all-time record for lowest round in a major championship with an opening round 63. The next day he shot 80 and was never in contention again.
Just a few months ago at The Masters, McIlroy, again, was blistering the field. He had led after each of the first three rounds and it looked as though the golf world was ready to hand McIlroy his first green jacket and the first of many major championships to come.
McIlroy responded to the Sunday pressure at Augusta National by shooting a very humbling round of 80. In just a few hours, he had gone from holding a four-shot lead on Sunday at The Masters to not even finishing in the top 10. What seemed to be so effortless for three days all of a sudden crumbled for McIlroy, in just nine holes.
Questions began popping up concerning whether McIlroy could finish the job on Sunday to close out a major championship. This time, though, McIlroy was prepared.
He looked relaxed during the pre-round interview and seemed to be moving normally as he addressed his ball on the first tee. After he ripped his first drive down the middle, stuffed an iron in close, and buried his putt for birdie with perfect pace, it was relatively certain that this lead was safe.
He birdied two of his first four holes and never looked back. It was soon clear who the champion would be, but the drama was far from over. McIlroy was flirting with breaking Tiger Woods’s record for all-time low total in a major championship (-19).
McIlroy never threatened -19, but history was made all week by this adopted crowd favorite. Chants of “Rory, Rory” echoed around Congressional late in the afternoon as it was clear that the fans were pulling for the classy young man who had clearly benefited from the disappointments of his recent past.
As McIlroy marched toward the 18th green, his good friend and last year’s US Open champion Graeme McDowell was waiting in the gallery with McIlroy’s father to witness their home country’s second consecutive US Open championship.
After nearly holing an improbable putt on the 18th green, McIlroy tapped in, pumped his fist, and embraced his father while wishing him a happy Father’s Day.
“The whole week has been incredible,” said McIlroy. “I couldn’t ask for much more.”
Rory McIlroy’s golf talent has been no secret to golf experts and fans. His rise up the world rankings at such a young age has been noted and talked about for years now. Not only is his ability off the charts, but so is his makeup.
He has carried himself with class far beyond his years through good and bad times. His character is just as impressive as his talent—and his talent is some of the best talent the game of golf has ever seen.
Joe Fries is a Miami-based golf pro and sports writer.
