US Open: Rory McIlroy wins first major at Congressional

Rory McIlroy completed a remarkable four days to clinch his first major title with an eight-shot victory in the US Open at Congressional.

McIlroy became the youngest US Open champion since Bobby Jones in 1923 and the youngest major winner since Tiger Woods clinched the Masters in 1997.

The 22-year-old broke a host of scoring records through the week and shot a final-round 69 to end 16 under par.

Australian Jason Day (68) was second, with Lee Westwood (70) tied third.

Alongside Westwood were Yang Yong-Eun (71) of South Korea and Americans Kevin Chappell (66) and Robert Garrigus (70).

The Northern Irishman banished memories of his Masters meltdown, when he blew a four-shot lead going into the final day, in emphatic fashion and obliterated records along the way.

McIlroy led from start to finish, carding 65, 66, 68, 69 to post a tournament record total of 16-under 268, four better than the previous mark.

Leaving his rivals in his wake, he became the quickest player in the 111-year history of the US Open to reach 10 under par (after 26 holes), the first player to go beyond 12 under, reaching as much as 17 under on Sunday, and also recorded the best 36 and 54-hole totals.

He becomes the second straight Northern Irishman to win the US Open after Graeme McDowell triumphed at Pebble Beach last year and the third major champion after Fred Daly won the Open in 1947.

McIlroy also become the 11th different major winner in a row and the eighth of those 11 to be clinching their first major title. For the first time in history there have been no American winners in five successive majors.

McIlroy's humbling of the field - and the supposedly tough 7,574-yard Blue Course, albeit softened by recent rain - evoked memories of Woods, who was 21 when he won the 1997 Masters by 12 shots to capture the first of his 14 major titles. He did, though fall short of Woods's record 15-stroke victory when he won the US Open at Pebble Beach in 2000.

With an eight-shot lead going into the final round, McIlroy showed few signs of nerves and opened with a birdie, stretching his lead to 10 shots with another at the fourth to get to 17 under.

He birdied the short 10th after hitting his tee shot to six inches and made only his second bogey of the week after driving into sand on the 12th.

Like Woods in his pomp, McIlroy made a number of crucial putts for par to keep up the momentum but he was really competing in his own tournament. He got back to 17 under with another birdie at the long 16th, but with the title in his pocket he leaked his first three-putt of the week on the 17th to drop a shot. A safe par at the last gave him his first major at the 10th attempt.

Behind, a fierce battle was raging for the minor places. Westwood, who began the day nine shots back in third, had the wind knocked out of his sails when he found the water on the sixth, while Frederik Jacobson was flying until he four-putted the 12th green.

Chappell and Garrigus launched late surges and Yang, playing with McIlroy in the final group, slipped back with two bogeys in his last four holes.

Day had a bogey-free round to secure his second straight runner-up spot in majors, while Sergio Garcia (70) and Peter Hanson (67) both dropped back to five under late on.

McDowell (69) ended in a tie for 14th at two under with England's world number one Luke Donald (69) five over and five-time US Open runner-up Phil Mickelson (71) seven over.

Rory McIlroy