McIlroy is youngest winner since 1996

Rory McIlroy became the youngest winner on the US PGA Tour since Tiger Woods 14 years ago by capturing the Quail Hollow Championship with a course record 10- under-par 62 two days shy of his 21st birthday.

Northern Ireland's McIlroy finished at 15-under for the tournament, four strokes better than runner-up Phil Mickelson. He punctuated his victory with a 42-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, to break the course record by two shots. McIlroy's victory came on the same day that 18-year-old Ryo Ishikawa shot a 12-under 58 – the lowest score on a major professional tour – to win his seventh Japan Tour title.

"I'm just trying to keep up with him," McIlroy said with a laugh of the 47th-ranked Ishikawa. "He's a great player, and with myself winning as well, it looks good for the future."

McIlroy, who entered the week ranked 13th in golf's Official World Ranking, joins Severiano Ballesteros, Woods and Mickelson as the only players to win on the PGA Tour since 1970 before their 21st birthday.

McIlroy, who received $1.15 million (Dh4.2m), is the youngest PGA Tour winner since October 1996, when Woods got his second professional victory at the Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic about two months before he turned 21.

McIlroy turned professional in 2007 at the age of 18 and collected his first title last year in the European Tour's Dubai Desert Classic. While he missed the cut at the Masters Tournament, he had made the top 10 of the world rankings earlier this year and two months ago was selected to join Woods as the cover athletes for Electronic Arts' 'Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11' video game.

Woods, now 34, has 14 major tournament wins along with 71 PGA Tour titles. The world's top-ranked golfer is the reason players such as McIlroy, Ishikawa, Anthony Kim and Danny Lee have "flourished at such an early age", McIlroy said.

"Tiger was the guy that we all looked up to," he said. "Tiger set the benchmark so high. We want to achieve that." McIlroy played the final two days in 16-under par after opening with rounds of 72 and 73 at Quail Hollow. He qualified for weekend play by one stroke at 1-over par on the same day that Woods missed the 36-hole cut in a regular PGA Tour event for the first time since 2005.

McIlroy started the final round in a tie for seventh place at 5-under, four shots behind leader Billy Mayfair.

McIlroy had four birdies over his first nine holes yesterday to move into a share of the lead. He added four more birdies and an eagle on the second nine to break the course record of 64 held by three players, most recently Rory Sabbatini in 2007.

"The last two days it seemed as if everything had just gone right," McIlroy said. "You get yourself into sort of a mindset like that, and you just keep going."

"For him to win here on the PGA Tour before his 21st birthday I just think sets his career off," said Mickelson, who was coming off his Masters win. "He's obviously an impressive player. I'm happy for him that he was able to put together this great round. I'm sorry it was at my expense." Mickelson birdied the 18th hole to take second place, one shot better than Argentina's Angel Cabrera.

Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe was fourth at 9-under, followed by American Bo Van Pelt at 8-under and 21-year-old Rickie Fowler at 7-under.

Irishman Padraig Harrington said it was difficult to overstate the importance of McIlroy's victory.

"There's an awful lot of pressure on him," the three-time major champion said of McIlroy.

"At home, no matter how he does, the focus is on him all the way through Europe.

"When he plays in Europe he's a big star and when you're not winning, you're not delivering and it becomes a burden. It's amazing the difference when you get a win. He will be a lot more comfortable with who he is, a lot more patient."

Harrington was speaking after two late bogeys to slide to equal seventh on six-under. He was just about to hit his drive at the final hole when a nearby marshal collapsed. Harrington's caddie, Ronan Flood, dashed over to render assistance.

The PGA Tour now moves to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, for the $9.5 million Players Championship, held from May 6 to 9 at the TPC Sawgrass.

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