Rory McIlroy awoke Sunday on the verge of a historic US Open triumph, with only the greatest last-round collapse ever seen in golf standing between him and his first major crown. The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland carried an eight-stroke lead into the final round at Congressional Country Club, humbling the course in a manner mindful of how Tiger Woods ripped apart Augusta National and overwhelmed the field in 1997 to win his first major at the same age.
McIlroy squandered a four-stroke lead entering the last round of this year’s Masters, but seems to have learned from his mistakes and appeared set to complete the takeover of golf by a new generation.
“Rory is out there making it look incredibly easy. He hasn’t put a foot wrong,” defending champion Graeme McDowell said of his compatriot. “Once I step out on the 18th, it’s a chance to get a cold beer and watch the wee man do it.”
After McDowell came South African Louis Oosthuizen winning the 2010 British Open, Germany’s Martin Kaymer winning last year’s PGA Championship and South African Charl Schwartzel taking April’s Masters — in all 10 different players won the past 10 majors, seven of the past eight as first-time major winners.
“These are all pretty young guys that are breaking through and winning majors,” McIlroy said. “I think it’s a great time for golf and it’s great to see all these guys breaking through.”
McIlroy was set to tee off in the final duo with South Korean Yang Yong-Eun, who overtook Woods in the final round of the 2009 PGA Championship to win, becoming the first man to deny Woods a major title when he led after 54 holes.
Three months later came the revelations of a tawdry sex scandal that rocked Woods, who is on a 20-month winless streak. The 14-time major champion, chasing the record 18 won by Jack Nicklaus, has not won a major since the 2008 US Open and missed this week’s US Open due to a left knee injury.
McIlroy’s form and utter doimination this week has sparked comparisons with Woods, although the idea that Woods might have been only the warm-up act for maturing McIlroy’s magnificence threatens to boggle the mind of the golf world.
“It doesn’t matter who it is, he’s far ahead,” said US star Davis Love. “We are used to chasing guys not that far ahead. It makes Sunday a whole lot less interesting. But you still try to do it the best you can.”
Indeed, there was every chance the final 18 hours would amount to no more than a victory lap for McIlroy, the coronation of a new king after his being in contention in each of the past four majors.
