Majestic McIlroy has world at feet
Four-foot putt at the last gives 19-year-old first victory and lifts ranking to No 14
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland poses with the trophy after winning the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic on the Majilis Course at the Emirates Golf Club on February 1, 2009 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Photo: David Cannon, Getty Images
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Monday February 02 2009
No golfer so young had ever appeared in the world's top 50 when Rory McIlroy made that historic leap just before Christmas. But this morning the young Ulsterman's reputation as the biggest phenomenon to hit the game of the golf since Tiger Woods will take on an even more substantial feel.
When the rankings are published the 19-year-old will be No 14. McIlroy is now rated so highly that within the United Kingdom, only Lee Westwood will be adjudged to be better.
That rather incredible stat was confirmed yesterday in Dubai when McIlroy prevailed in a gripping climax at the Desert Classic. With six holes remaining, the blockbuster from Holywood near Belfast was six clear; within five torrid holes his advantage was down to just one. And the irony was that the player closing up fast was one Justin Rose, the last British teenager to be widely labelled a "sensation" and then crack under the pressure.
Rose was the first to confess last night, however, that McIlroy's achievement in winning his first professional title, and doing so by leading wire to wire, by far outshone his own remarkable feat of finishing fourth as amateur at the 1998 Open Championship at Birkdale. "Rory is an amazing talent," said Rose, merely confirming what everyone involved in the sport already knows. He was well-placed to be the one to declare it, however, as he had just seen how McIlroy had surrendered a sizeable lead then recovered it, then threatened to blow it all over again before nervelessly getting up and down at the 18th hole from a greenside bunker to scoop the £300,000 first prize. There were clearly a few jitters, but McIlroy came through and put behind him the two close defeats he had suffered before.
When Rose stood over a 15-foot birdie on the last and McIlroy was eyeing up a tricky four-footer for par it seemed he was about to experience his third play-off in the last five months. And the previous two had been lost.
2009, Independent News Media
