Rory McIlroy survived a Sunday charge by Tiger Woods to claim his first Honda Classic victory and took over the top spot in the World Golf Rankings in the process, the Times Union said.
McIlroy began the day with a nine-shot lead over Woods, but a final round 62 put him in position to possibly force a playoff with the tournament leader.
A clutch performance worthy of the No. 1 ranking was exactly what McIlroy was counting on, and he delivered down the stretch by making a birdie on the 13th hole. That birdie secured a two-shot lead for the 22-year-old phenom, and he played the final five holes at even par to finish the tournament 12 under par.
With his win Sunday, McIlroy became just the 16th player to reach the world No. 1 ranking.
He is also the second-youngest player to reach the top spot at 22 years and 10 months old. Tiger Woods reached the top spot at 21 years and five months old back in 1997.
Leave a comment