Rory leads the new young guns

SUDDENLY after a remarkable Sunday of golfing achievement, capped by Rory McIlroy’s Quail Hollow Championship success, Tiger Woods at 34 years of age seems very, very old.

McIlroy has jumped four places to World No. 9 in destroying the Charlotte field with a blistering weekend effort of a third round 66 and a final round course record 62 to win by four.

After only just managing to make the halfway cut right on the mark, McIlroy outplayed, outscored and outwitted the combined challenge of US Masters winner’s Phil Mickelson and Angel Cabrera to win for a first time in the States.

“I was just happy to make the cut on Friday night,” McIlroy laughed. “But when you go out and you shoot 16-under on the weekend around a golf course like Quail Hollow then you can’t get much more of a confidence boost than that.

“Great young players like Camilo (Villegas) and AK (Anthony Kim) have won three times on this Tour, and this is my first so hopefully I’ll be able to join them soon. I just want to concentrate on getting a few more wins, learn as much as I can at the majors.

“I’ve had a couple of good finishes before, but it really takes a while to figure them out. But if I went to a Major Championship and played like that over the weekend, I probably would win, as well. But really I’m just looking forward to getting that next win. It was a great day, and hopefully I’ll look forward to a few more.”

The victory is only McIlroy’s second in the play-for- play ranks and ends an agonising 14-month winless drought for the Holywood, Co Down player, earning him a first prize cheque for $1.17m (€886,000).

It also affords McIlroy a two-year US Tour exemption and an automatic invite, not that he will need it, into next year’s US Masters.

McIlroy also took a huge step in qualifying for the season-ending FedEx Cup Series while he’s confirmed he will start 2011 with entry into the ‘winner’s only’ SAS Championship in Hawaii.

McIlroy today celebrates turning 21 with close friends and fellow Irish Pádraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell on hand to toast the US Tour’s newest champion ahead of all three appearing in this week’s Players Championship at Ponte Vedre in Florida.

Strangely, up until today, McIlroy was still not old enough to either rent-a-car or buy a drink in the States.

CBS TV analyst and fellow Ulsterman, David Feherty was one of many caught up in the euphoria of McIlroy’s sizzling victory display.

“To play like that, with the lead, as his age, is stunning,” said Feherty.

When Feherty finally caught up with McIlroy, he was still hyper.

“You’re supposed to soil yourself on those last three holes, especially at 20,” said Feherty laughing. “At that age, I was thinking, ‘How am I going to lose this?’ You were just taking it further and further. And does that remind you of somebody, somebody who missed the cut here. Rory’s going to be a big star out here, and for as long as he likes.”

McIlroy’s victory capped a remarkable Sunday of success for the game’s younger competitors. Firstly, there was 18-year old Japanese star Ryo Ishikawa who shot golf’s first-ever tournament 58 in winning the Crowns tournament.

The stage may not be quite the same, but Ishikawa is already a huge star in his homeland and competed in last year’s Presidents Cup. He’s also already played in four Major’s.

“Ryo shoots 58 and I shoot 62, so all I was trying to do was keep up with him,” joked McIlory.

“I played that tournament in Japan a couple years ago and the greens are so small but they can get the greens rock hard there. So it’s a very impressive round.

“Every time I’ve played with him, he’s been great, and obviously with myself winning today, as well, it looks good for the future.”

The win way Ishikawa’s seventh on the Japan PGA Tour. Then there’s American Rickie Fowler who, despite dressed from head to toe in orange at Quail Hollow, posted plenty of red birdie figures in a 67 to finish sixth behind McIlroy.

Fowler is all of 21, and he came very close to winning his first PGA Tour event last fall in losing a play-off for the Frys.com Open in Scottsdale.

Also on the same day, England’s Charlie Ford captured the Turkish Airlines Challenge on Europe’s secondary Challenge Tour. Ford had turned 25 on the eve of Sunday’s final round.

In Mexico, Ali Miyazato captured her third event in first starts this year in winning the Tres Maria Championship on the women’s LPGA Tour.

Miyazato and runner-up Stacy Lewis are both just 24 years old while Michelle Wie, who is 20, was a shot back.

The golf world this week will focus on Italian youngster Matteo Manessero who turned pro yesterday and make’s his play-for-pay debut in Thursday’s starting BMW Italian Open in Turin.

Earlier this year the now 17-year old Manessero became the youngest player to make the cut in the U.S Masters. Little wonder Tiger Woods seems ancient.