Golf:Rory McIlroy jumped four places to ninth in the latest world rankings after his stunning victory at the PGA Tour's Quail Hollow Championship in North Carolina yesterday.
The 20-year-old, who will celebrate his 21st birthday with a party at Sawgrass tomorrow, became the youngest winner on the PGA Tour since Tiger Woods won the Disney in 1996.
His course record final round, 10 under par 62, gave him a 15 under 273 aggregate to finish four shots ahead of Masters champion Phil Mickelson (68).
McIlroy’s flawless card contained no less than eight birdies plus and eagle three at the par five 15th. His crowing moment came with a 40 footer for birdie along the 18th green to seal the famous win.
“It’s been a crazy ride to this point and to get my first win in the US is very special and to do it on a course like this is even better.
“I’m going to have a bit of a party on Tuesday night at Sawgrass (for his 21st). The first call is to my mum and dad up in Lough Erne and then my girlfriend Holly.
“I feel great heading to Sawgrass after coming off a 16 under par weekend, it’s ridiculous (scoring). I played like this before when I shot 61 at Portrush in the North (of Ireland Championship) when I was 16.”
Mickelson's second place finish gives the left hander an opportunity to take the world number one spot at this week's Players Championship at Sawgrass if he can win and Tiger Woods finishes outside the top five. The American may have stiff opposition in golf’s unofficial “fifth major” if McIlroy’s form is anything to go by.
McIlroy’s climb back into the top 10 moved Pádraig Harrington down one place to 12th in the latest standings. The three time major winner closed with a 68 at Quail Hollow to finish tied seventh on six under. Graeme McDowell remains just inside the top 50.
Alvaro Quiros joined Seve Ballesteros and Sergio Garcia as the only home winners of the Spanish Open since 1972. The Spaniard moved up four place to 51st in the latest rankings after his fourth European Tour win, which he won from a play-off against England’s James Morrison in Seville.
Ryo Ishikawa set a new Japan Golf Tour record by carding a stunning 12-under-par 58 to win this seventh title at The Crowns. The 18-year-old started the day six shots behind overnight leader Shigeki Maruyama but conjured up 12 birdies, including nine on his first 11 holes, without dropping a shot for a five-stroke victory at Nagoya Golf Club. Ishikawa climbs nine places to 18th in the world.