McIlroy storms to record U.S. Open title

BETHESDA, Md. -- Someday came quickly for Rory McIlroy. That is as in, "Someday, he will get over that epic collapse at the Masters and win a major." As it turned out, he got over it the next chance he got, and won the U.S. Open in an eight-stroke rout Sunday. And now his career holds the chance of being as promising as a month of somedays.

McIlroy proved that he was not devastated by the meltdown at Augusta, he was strengthened by it. In his very next major championship after the Masters, the 22-year-old from Northern Ireland shot 16 under par, the best ever in the Open, which was first held in 1895. His total score of 268 (after a 2-under 69 Sunday) was a record, too. Overall, McIlroy inspired comparisons to all-time great golfers such as Tiger Woods (whose 12 under in 2000 had been the record) and Jack Nicklaus. Instead of being Sunday's goat, McIlroy made the case for being golf's next big star.

"He's the best player I've ever seen," said Graeme McDowell, his countryman and friend and until Sunday at Congressional Country Club, the defending U.S. Open champion. "I didn't have a chance to play with Tiger when he was in his real pump. This guy is the best I've ever seen, simple as that. He's great for golf, he's a breath of fresh air for the game. Perhaps we're ready for golf's next new superstar and maybe Rory's it."

Nicklaus, who has counseled McIlroy since that horrific Sunday in Augusta, said, "I think this kid is going to have a great career, I don't think there's any question about that." The all-time leader with 18 majors, who also was 22 when he won his first, added by telephone on the NBC telecast, "He's humble when he needs to be humble and he's confident when he needs to be confident."

By the time McIlroy reached the back nine Sunday, he was up by eight shots on Y.E. Yang, so there was almost no chance for a repeat of the wrenching scene in which McIlroy hit from amid the cabins off the 10th hole at Augusta National. But it was symbolic that on the 10th hole Sunday, a difficult par 3 guarded by 200 yards of water, he came within six inches of a hole-in-one. "Five shots better," he said.

The feeling, of course, was vastly different this time. "A lot of joy," he said. "A lot of relief, as well. More joy, though."

His dad, Gerry, who was here to celebrate Father's Day and wound up celebrating much more, said: "As long as he learned from it, that's what it was all about. He has moved on, he has learned from it. To come here and win, that's fantastic. I'm choking for a pint."

His son did no choking on the course. It helped that Congressional was soft after several rainfalls. Many scores were low. But no one's were as low as McIlroy's. He made sure from the start that Sunday was not going to be another nightmare.

Hitting out of a fairway divot on the first hole, he put his second shot within 10 feet and made his birdie putt. The rest of the field was playing for second. Jason Day won that contest, shooting 68 to finish 8 under.

All week, McIlroy had been talking about preparation. He joked that he made such a gracious speech at Augusta because he had five or six holes to prepare.

Now, observers believe he is prepared to win many majors someday. Ken Venturi, the 1964 Open champion at Congressional, told him at the awards ceremony, "With your talent, this is just the tip of the iceberg."

"It's nice to hear you can win this, win that," McIlroy said. "But at the end of the day, I've won one."

On this day, one was plenty.