Rory McIlroy wins The Open 2014: Holywood Golf Club star secures fifth title for Northern Ireland in last 19 majors
Co Down golfer held off a spirited challenge from Sergio Garcia to claim his third major title on a thrilling final day at Royal Liverpool.
The star of Holywood Golf Club held off a spirited challenge from Ryder Cup team-mate Sergio Garcia to claim his third major title on a thrilling final day of the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool on Sunday.
McIlroy took a six-shot lead over Rickie Fowler into the last round and was seven clear of Garcia, but saw that advantage cut to just two strokes as Garcia played the first 10 holes in five under par.
However, the 34-year-old Spaniard – fifth here in 2006 and now with 19 top-10s in 64 majors – crucially bogeyed the 15th to release some of the pressure and McIlroy would not be denied becoming the first European player to win three different majors since the Masters was founded in 1934. Even greats such as Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros won just two of the four.
McIlroy’s closing 71 gave him a 17-under-par total of 271, two ahead of a gallant Garcia whose closing 66 left him joint second with Rickie Fowler. Fowler birdied three of the last four holes to card a 67 and has now finished fifth, second and second in the year’s majors.
The Northern Irishman becomes just the third man in the modern era after Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus to win three majors by the age of 25, while the first prize of £975,000 was not the only windfall for the McIlroy family – his father Gerry and three friends each won £50,000 after putting £100 on the 15-year-old at 500-1 a decade ago to lift the Claret Jug before his 26th birthday.
“It feels incredible,” McIlroy told the BBC. “Today wasn’t easy. There were a lot of guys making runs at me and I just needed to stay focused, keep in the present and concentrate on what I was doing out there.
