McIlroy blitzes Quail field

Rory McIlroy became the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in 14 years with a dazzling final round performance at the Quail Hollow Championship.

McIlroy fired a ten under par 62, including eight birdies, an eagle and a 45-foot putt at the 18^th, to finish four clear of Masters champion Phil Mickelson.

The Co Down youngster, who turns 21 tomorrow (Tuesday), is the youngest winner of a PGA Tour event since Tiger Woods won the Las Vegas Invitational in October 1996.

Afterwards, he said: “I’m delighted to get my first win of the year and to do it on this course is amazing. I suppose I just got in the zone. I didn’t realise I was going eight, nine, 10 under par. I just knew I’d got my nose in front, I was just trying to stay there.”

McIlroy had missed the cut in his previous two to tournaments on American soil, including last month’s Masters at Augusta, but has hit form at the right time going into this week’s Players’ Championship – known as the Fifth Major – at Sawgrass.