The list is short and distinguished — Seve Ballesteros, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and now Rory McIlroy. Those are the men over the last 40 years who have won PGA Tour events before celebrating their 21st birthday.
With his victory Sunday at Quail Hollow, McIlroy made the list by a scant two days. In his hometown of Hollywood, Ireland, he has been old enough to tip a Guinness stout for three years but not in America.
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“I think I’ll have a bit of a party Tuesday night at Sawgrass,” McIlroy said of his birthday plans at the Players Championship.
It will be a coming of age in more ways than one as McIlroy celebrates one of the greatest final-round performances in PGA Tour history. Playing the last five holes in 5-under-par, McIlroy blew past the last two Masters champions — Mickelson and Angel Cabrera — to fire a course record, 10-under 62 and win by four shots.
Coincidentally, in a tournament that made news Friday for the rare failure of Woods to make the cut, McIlroy won in Tiger-like fashion — grinding on Friday to make the cut with no strokes to spare, then making a spectacular comeback, shooting the lowest score in the field Saturday (66) to set up his Sunday charge.
McIlroy also flashed Tiger-like length and charisma. His key shot Sunday was a 5-iron from 208 yards on the par-5 15th. McIlroy hit the approach to three feet and made the eagle putt. He also made two birdies from bunkers on the final five holes, drained a 40-footer on No. 18 for a birdie and lipped out a 50-footer for birdie at No. 17.
It was a continuation of his stellar tee-to-green work Saturday, when he had five eagle putts but made none.
“The 66 [Saturday] was probably the worst I could have shot,” McIlroy said.
Halfway around the world, another young player made a Tiger-like statement Sunday, when 18-year-old Ryo Ishikawa fired a final-round 58 to come from behind and win for the seventh time on the Japanese Tour.
