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The King is dead. Long live the (new) King, and that is Rory McIlroy.
As Tiger Woods looks to sort out his ailing back, McIlroy is conjuring golf that has not been seen since Woods obliterated strong fields week after week in 2000 and 2001, the astonishing highs of his career.
The Northern Irishman won a second consecutive major — the United States PGA Championship — and his third straight big tournament at Valhalla today with a magnificent closing nine. He had previously won the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool and the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone last week.
The world No. 1 began the day with a one-shot lead but he was three shots back through nine holes as Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson made charges. All four of those players had a chance to win, and for a long time, it looked likely to be a playoff.
But as he had done on the previous three days, McIlroy surged through the closing stretch, beginning with a fairway wood to two metres from the flag at the par-five 10th that set him up for an eagle, bringing him within a shot, then a gorgeous short iron shot at the par-four 13th for another birdie to join the lead. With Mickelson and Fowler giving shots back, McIlroy bombarded the 16th hole and suddenly had the lead to himself.
The killer blow was landed at the par-four 17th. McIlroy hit his iron shot to inside three metres and rolled in the right-to-left putt for another birdie so that he had a two-shot cushion going up the 18th.
The tournament finished in darkness because of a rain delay, and to complete it, the preceding group of Mickelson and Fowler allowed the final group to hit up from the tee, a gesture by the Americans that McIlroy appreciated.
McIlroy drove into the right rough near the water hazard at the par-five closing hole, hit his second into the front trap, splashed out and two-putted for par and a 68 to win by a shot. His back nine was done in just 32 shots. It was ridiculously dark; McIlroy technically could have asked to come back tomorrow, although he never considered it for a second. "I wanted to win this thing and get out of here,'' he said later.
His lag putt from 10 metres was excellent, leaving him a tap-in and a big fist pump. At 25 years, three months, six days of age, he has four majors to his name. "It's been just incredible,'' he said afterward at the presentation. "I didn't think in my wildest dreams I'd be able to have a summer like this. I've played the best golf of my life and really got it about today. It was a little different to the previous major wins I've had, and I think I showed a lot of guts out there today to get the job done.''
Mickelson carded a 66 that was not quite enough, although he was superb to the finish, just a shot shy of McIlroy. He paid dearly for a bogey at the par-four 16th where he was short of the green for two, and left his par-saving putt a roll or two short of the cup, his only blemish of the day. Similarly Stenson carded a fine 66 that might have been sufficient on another day. Wanting eagle at the final hole but confronted with a mud ball from his tee shot, his second went into an appalling, muddy lie from where he had no relief. The Swede ended up taking a par to finish.
Fowler (68) was outstanding as well, seizing the outright lead with a chip-in at the fifth hole. Through 13 holes he still had a piece of the lead but at the par-four 14th he missed the green right and could not get up and down. Not even a miraculous par-save at the 15th helped him, and he three-putted the final hole to complete a disappointing finish. The American, also just 25, has finished fifth-second-second-third in this year's majors. "This is kind of the first one that hurts,'' he said.
Australia's Jason Day began the final round just three shots back but was never in the running. Day carded a one-over par 72 and had to be content with a tie for 15th place, alongside his Queensland mate Adam Scott, who closed with a two-under 69. Both finished at nine-under par for the tournament.
Day has had an interrupted season and should be happy with his result. He has set himself up nicely for a run at the PGA Tour playoffs which begin in a week.
McIlroy's amazing season sets up a bumper Emirates Australian Open at The Australian in Sydney from November 27, with him having committed to defend the title he won in spectacular fashion at Royal Sydney last year.
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP SCORES
-16 Rory McIlroy
-15 Phil Mickelson
-14 Henrik Stenson, Rickie Fowler
-12 Jim Furyk, Ryan Palmer
Australians
-9 Adam Scott, Jason Day
-1 Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Geoff Ogilvy
RORY'S MAJORS
2011 US Open
2012, 2014 PGA Championship
2014 Open Championship