Rory McIlroy is entitled to strut as he walks down the fairway. He is entitled to twirl the club in his hands, his trademark reaction to a perfectly executed shot. And, throughout the 2014 season, there were many shots that had observers shaking their heads in admiration and the world’s number one golfer following the flight of the ball as it made its way towards a target.
Except, in the final actions of the US PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club outside Louisville in Kentucky, not even McIlroy's eyes could follow his final approach shot of the rain-delayed final round. Under dark, threatening skies on that evening in August, McIlroy - with Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler in the match ahead requested by PGA officials to let the Northern Irishman play up - overcame fading light and his pursuers to close the deal to add the Wanamaker Trophy to the Claret Jug he had won the previous month.
McIlroy had arrived in Valhalla as the unquestioned No.1 in the sport: he had not only won the British Open at Hoylake, but also followed up with victory in WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Akron. As if to underline McIlory's arrival as golf's new dominant force, Tiger Woods - for so long the principal figure - was plagued by recurring injuries and on another downward spiral.
Not that McIlroy had it all his own way at Valhalla. Although he carried a one stroke lead into the final round, Mickelson and Fowler rose to the challenge. After a shaky front nine, McIlroy trailed by two shots as he entered the back nine: then, all the pieces fell into place.
On the Par 5 10th hole, McIlroy hit a superb drive down the middle of the fairway, took a 3-wood from his caddie JP Fitzgerald and, from 280 yards, hit his approach to eight feet. The execution of the shot may not have been as pure as he would have liked, but the result was perfection personified. He rolled in the eagle putt, and all those woes of the front nine disappeared.
A birdie on the 17th gave McIlroy a two-shot lead standing on the 18th tee. And, if there was an element of confusion about being called to play his tee shot whilst Mickelson and Fowler waited, all was well that ended well. McIlroy’s tee shot finished close to a hazard en route to a far from straightforward finishing par.
A closing round 68 for 16-under-par gave McIlory a one stroke win over Mickelson with Fowler and Henrik Stenson a shot further away in third.
The PGA victory gave McIlroy a fourth career Major title, with only Jack Nicklaus and Woods reaching that milestone at a younger age. It also gave McIlroy some nine months to think ahead to his next Major challenge, the US Masters at Augusta where he will seek to become just the sixth player to claim a career Grand Slam.
