Rory’s PGA win signals the start of a new era

The last two hours of this year’s PGA Championship looked destined to send Twitter into meltdown as golf fans from around the globe applauded and praised the play of the four leading contenders and the drama that ensued.

Two Americans – Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson – and two Europeans – Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson – had put a gap between them and the rest of the field as they halfway mark of the final round.

Rory McIlroy hits a shot from a greenside bunker on the 18th hole as darkness falls across the course. PHOTO: Getty Images

Having endured Bubba Watson’s swagger to a second Green Jacket at the Masters, as well as Martin Kaymer’s decimation of the US Open field and to some extent McIlroy’s ‘never-got-out-of-second-gear’ Open Championship win last month, the PGA Championship was golf’s last glorious shot at delivering a dramatic major finish. And what a finish it was.

With the leading groups racing to beat the setting sun after sitting through a one hour and 51-minute rain delay to their afternoon tee times, it was McIlroy who rose to the occasion and showed why Jack Nicklaus believes he will go on to win “15 or 20 major championships”.

Rory McIlroy celebrates his one-stroke victory on the 18th green. PHOTO: Getty Images.

After two bogies early in his third round, the Northern Irishman was three shots out of the lead, which was then held by Fowler and Mickelson.

He kick-started his round with a birdie at the par-5 7^th hole but the big turning point came at the next par-5, the 10^th hole, when his second shot approach from 281 yards with a 3-wood bounced up onto the green and came to rest just seven feet from the cup. He converted the eagle putt and seriously back in contention.

McIlroy looked fired up and let out a fist pump when he birdied the par-4 13th to tie the leaders at 15-under. When he birdied from out of a fairway bunker on the 17^th hole, he had sealed the deal as Mickelson, playing in the group in front, had already faltered with a bogey at the 16^th hole.

The earlier rain delay created an unprecedented scene on the 72nd hole as McIlroy and playing partner Bernd Wiesberger were called up by Fowler and got permission from officials to hit their tee and second shots on the par-5 18th as the penultimate group walked to their shots so that the round could be completed.

Shining light: PGA Champion Rory McIlroy. PHOTO: Getty Images

This staggered foursome gave McIlroy look at Mickelson almost chipping in for eagle and it was McIlroy’s championship to lose. But that was never going to happen, even in the dark. He two-putted for par and a closing round 68 after blasting out of the deep bunker at the front of the green to ensure the Rodman Wanamaker Trophy was his.

Posting his third consecutive win in as many starts, McIlroy became the first since Padraig Harrington in 2008 to win consecutive major championships. And, at 25, McIlroy became the third-youngest player to win his fourth major overall behind the terrific twosome of Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

“I thought winning The Open Championship a few weeks ago had sort of put me on a higher level in this game,” McIlroy said. “But then to win a fourth major here, to be one behind Phil, one behind Seve, level with Ernie, level with Raymond Floyd; I mean, I never thought I'd get this far at 25 years of age.

“It's something that I'm just going to have to come to terms with in a way. I was happy being a two‑time major champion coming into this year, and all of a sudden I'm a four‑time major champion and going for the career Grand Slam at Augusta in 292 days, 291 days or whatever it is; not that I'm counting (smiling).

“Yeah, it's just been an incredible run of golf, and I just couldn't be more proud of myself or happier with where my game's at.”

McIlory said it meant a lot to him to turn his last day around and come from behind to win the title.

“To win it in this fashion and this style, it means a lot,” he said. “It means that I know that I can do it. I know that I can come‑from‑behind. I know that I can mix it up with the best players in the world down the stretch in a major and come out on top.

“Phil Mickelson, the second best player in this generation, to be able to beat him on the back nine on a Sunday; it's great to have in the memory bank and great to have in the locker going forward.”

With his eyes fixed on the trophy next to him, McIlroy said his eagle on the 10^th hole turned the momentum of the tournament.

“I needed to sort of stay patient and just sort of bide my time and wait for something to click, something to happen and that something happened on the 10th hole,” he said. “To make eagle there was a big turning point in the tournament, and from there, I kicked on and played some great golf down the stretch.

“Felt like I could have made a couple more birdies to be honest with you, but did what I needed to do to win this thing sitting next to me … it's a pretty good feeling.”

Conversely, Fowler and Mickelson will both rue missed opportunities.

Mickelson joined the leaders three times with birdies and stayed there with a 27-foot par putt on the par-4 12th. But after almost holing out a birdie chip on the difficult, par-4 16th, Mickelson missed the putt coming back for his first bogey in 21 holes.

Phil Mickelson rues a missed putt on the 7th hole during the final round. PHOTO: Getty Images

“It was good for me to get back in the mix,” Mickelson said after a poor run of form, especially in the majors in 2014. “I kind of ran out of steam.

“I thought that had I been able to finish those last, five, six holes strong, I could have totally flipped the way I look at this year.”

Fowler joined Nicklaus and Woods as the only golfers in the modern era to post top-five finishes in each major of a calendar year. Nicklaus and Woods did it twice.

Fowler was the outright leaded three times during the final round, a round which included a chip-in on the par-4 5th and a 25-foot birdie bomb on the par-5 10th. But his bogey at the par-3 14th saw him drop out of the lead and his chance to win his maiden major title was gone.

“This is probably the one that hurts the most for me with the majors this year,” he said.

“The first three were a lot of fun and obviously to be in great positions and to get great finishes. This one I felt like I could go out today and win it. I put myself in a good position but the back nine wasn't what I was wanting.

“But still, to look back on the year, it was pretty awesome through the majors and something I can look back on and be proud of.”

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, looking to become the first male player from his country to win a major, carded six birdies through his first 13 holes to pull even with the lead three separate times. But he three-putted the par-3 14th and never regained the lead.

McIlroy said he doesn’t want to think about the major-winning record that Woods has been pushing himself to claim for the past decade.

But he does have some goals to tick off and then he might start thinking about Nicklaus’ 18 major titles record.

“I think I've got to take it one small step at a time,” Rory said.

“I think the two next realistic goals are the career Grand Slam, and trying to become the most successful European player ever. So Nick Faldo, most successful European ever in the modern era – Nick Faldo has six. Seve has five. Obviously the career Grand Slam coming up at Augusta in eight months time or whatever it is, they are the next goals.

“And hopefully, when I achieve those, I can start to think about other things. But right now, that's what my focus is. My focus is trying to complete this year Grand Slam and then move forward and try and become the most successful European ever, and hopefully in time, if I can do that, then I can move on and set different goals.”

The Australian campaign faltered on the final day as Jason Day’s putter failed to deliver and birdies were seemingly impossible to come by for the Queenslander as the player’s in front of him started to pull away. Two birdies on the front nine were offset by two bogies and he was treading water with nine holes to play. His tie for 15^th was a disappointing end to a week that offered plenty of opportunity after it began with little expectation.

Fellow Queenslander Adam Scott was too far back with a round to go to make a realistic run at the title. However, his final round 69 was very good and he will get a chance to go head-to-head with McIlroy at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf In Bermuda later this year.

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