SB Nation New York - US Open 2011 (Final Round): Rory McIlroy Wins First Major In Record-Setting Fashionhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48977/ny-fave.png2011-06-20T09:55:21-04:00http://newyork.sbnation.com/rss/stream/19872062011-06-20T09:55:21-04:002011-06-20T09:55:21-04:00Rory McIlory Runs Away From U.S. Open Field -- But Not The Tiger Woods Questions
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<p>During the <a href="http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=72129" target="new">press conferenc</a>e Sunday evening following his historic U.S. Open victory, Rory McIlroy was asked over and over about Tiger Woods. Of course, after his Woods-like domination, that was natural. Especially since he brought up trying to emulate Woods’ 1997 Masters performance himself.</p>
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<p>“Just growing up and watching him, watching him dominate at the Masters at ‘97, watching him dominate at Pebble in 2000 and St. Andrews. And just trying to go out there with the same intensity that he has, and the same — no lead is big enough. That’s all I was trying to do,” McIlroy said. “I was trying to go out and trying to make no mistakes, and really not give anyone a chance to catch me.”</p>
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<p>Of course, McIlroy was also asked about Woods’ absence and about the opportunity to play against Woods if and when Tiger ever returns to form.</p>
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<p>“Yeah, I mean, it would be great to — I’ve watched Tiger over the last 15 years. It would be great. When I was growing up, I always had putts to win Tiger Woods in the Masters or U.S. Open. So it would be great to be able to get in contention one day, whether it be a Major or just a regular event and go down the stretch with him because I’ve never really had that experience before,” McIlroy said.</p>
<p>“As I said, hopefully he can get healthy and can get back playing good golf, because the game of golf is a better place with him playing well.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Yes, it would be great for golf fans. Unfortunately, with Rory rising and Tiger still a physical — and maybe mental — wreck you have to wonder if it is something we will ever see.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/6/20/2233078/rory-mcilory-us-open-tiger-woodsEd Valentine2011-06-19T19:59:00-04:002011-06-19T19:59:00-04:002011 US Open Results & Final Leaderboard: Rory McIlroy Wins First Major In Record-Setting Fashion
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<p>Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy polished off a record-setting, four-day performance Sunday at the 2011 US Open, held at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD, with a final-round score of 69, 2-under par, to finish with a record-net total of 268, 16-under par, to collect his first major championship. McIlroy, 22, was eight strokes better than the second-place finisher, Australia's Jason Day, who shot 8-under par, and became the youngest player ever to win the US Open.</p>
<p>Here are some other records (12 overall) McIlroy set at the conclusion of the 2011 US Open:</p>
<ul>
<li>Fastest to double-digit under par (26 holes)</li>
<li>Low first 36 holes (131)</li>
<li>Most strokes under par after 36 holes (11-under par)</li>
<li>Largest 36-hole lead (six strokes)</li>
<li>Low first 54 holes (199)</li>
<li>Most strokes under par after 54 holes (14-under par)</li>
<li>Low 72-hole total (268)</li>
<li>Most strokes under par after 72 holes (16-under par)</li>
</ul>
<p>There was no doubt that before Sunday's final round started, it was McIlroy's tournament to lose. The young gun came out firing birding two of his first four holes, which helped him move to 16-under par and earn a 10-stroke lead. McIlroy moved to 17-under par after almost acing what is considered the toughest hole on the course -- the par-3, 10th hole -- and tapping in for birdie. McIlroy lost a shot with a bogey on No. 12, but by that time no other golfer was even close to contending and he coasted to victory.</p>
<p>McIlroy, who became the second straight Northern Ireland native to win American's championship (Graeme McDowell won last year), put on a show for the ages and it was refreshing to see golf's young talent play at a Tiger-like level. The 2011 US Open may not have been as dramatic as The Masters, but it was similar to the one played at Augusta National in 1997.</p>
<p><i>For more information on the US Open check out SB Nation's golf blog <a href="http://www.waggleroom.com/">Waggle Room,</a>SB Nation DC's US Open </i><a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/2011/4/29/2142662/us-open-golf-championship-2011-field">storystream</a><i> and SB Nation's <a href="http://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/6/golf">pro golf hub</a>.</i></p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/6/19/2232381/2011-us-open-results-final-leaderboard-rory-mcilroy-wins-first-majorJared Smith2011-06-19T18:04:12-04:002011-06-19T18:04:12-04:00US Open 2011 Leaderboard Update: Rory McIlroy Closing On Championship Record
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<p>Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who began the back-nine of the final round of the 2011 US Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD with an eight-stroke advantage, needs four birdies in his last six holes to break the major championship record for a tournament under par. The record, of course, is held by Tiger Woods, who combined to shoot 19-under par at the 2000 British Open. McIlroy, currently 16-under par, is on pace to smash the US Open record of 12-under par, which is also held by Woods.</p>
<p>Currently, McIlroy leads Korea's Y.E. Yang, who's 8-under par and sits alone in second place, by eight strokes. Yang began the day eight strokes behind the 52-hole leader, McIlroy, who's almost certain to win his first major title. Australia's Jason Day is at 7-under par and alone in third place. Three others are tied at 6-under par.</p>
<p>McIlroy began his day by birding two of his first four holes to move to 16-under par. At the par-3 10th hole, McIlroy almost made an ace, but tapped-in to move to 17-under. McIlroy made just his fourth bogey of the tournament on No. 12.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/6/19/2232266/us-open-2011-leaderboard-update-rory-mcilroy-closing-on-championshipJared Smith2011-06-19T17:09:50-04:002011-06-19T17:09:50-04:00US Open 2011 Final Round Update: Rory McIlroy Begins Back-Nine With Eight-Shot Lead
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<p>Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who began the final round of the US Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD with an eight-stroke advantage, will make the turn with the same advantage. The 22-year old will start the back-nine at 16-under par and ahead of playing partner Korea's Y.E. Yang, who is 2-under on the day and 8-under overall. Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson is in third place at 7-under par.</p>
<p>McIlroy began the day birding two of his first four holes to take a commanding 10-shot lead on the field. From there, Yang has made two birdies, while Jacobson is 3-under on the day. Australia's Jason Day and England's Lee Westwood are at 6-under par, but are running out of holes to make a move.</p>
<p>Despite the less than dramatic chase for the tournament title, sports fans can at least relish McIlroy's chase to break the scoring record for a major championship (19-under par, which was set by Tiger Woods at the 2000 British Open).</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/6/19/2232205/us-open-2011-final-round-update-rory-mcilroy-begins-back-nine-withJared Smith2011-06-19T16:09:18-04:002011-06-19T16:09:18-04:00US Open 2011 (Final Round, Update): Rory McIlroy Now 16-Under Par, Leads By 10 Strokes
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<p>Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who entered the final round of the US Open at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD with an eight-stroke advantage, has birdied two of his first four holes to move to 16-under par and now has a 10-stroke lead over Korea's Y.E. Yang and England's Lee Westwood, who's at 6-under par..</p>
<p>Currenlty, McIlroy is making a mockery of the US Open, which is considered the toughest tournament in golf. Everything looks so easy for the 22-year old, who has made two birdie putts inside 10 feet. Its clear that McIlroy has the strategy of playing aggressive and keeping the peddle to the metal.</p>
<p>The question is: Will McIlroy begin to ease off, which might help the rest of the field possible catch him? Time will tell, but right now McIlroy is putting on a show for all golf lovers. There's nothing like watching a player take his game to another level. Especially, to a level that nobody has ever seen in a US Open.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/6/19/2232136/us-open-2011-final-round-update-rory-mcilroy-now-16-under-par-leadsJared Smith2011-06-19T15:50:23-04:002011-06-19T15:50:23-04:00US Open 2011 (Final Round): Rory McIlroy Moves To 15-Under Par, Leads By Nine Strokes
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<p>Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who entered the final round of the US Open at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD with an eight-stroke advantage, birded his first hole, pared the second and third to move 15-under par. McIlroy now leads the field by nine strokes as Korea's Y.E. Yang and England's Lee Westwood each are at 6-under par.</p>
<p>Westwood began his final round with a birdie on No. 1, and pars on No. 2 and 3. On the third hold, Westwood's birdie attempt rimmed out. Yang has made pars on his first three holes.</p>
<p>Currently, the field is finding a lot of scoring opportunities. Two players who have taken advantage of Sunday's soft course are USA's Steve Stricker (-5), who has made five birdies to sneak into the top five, and defending British Open champion, Louis Oosthuizen (-4), who's 4-under par on the day.</p>
<p>Phil Mickelson finished his day at even-par and 7-over for the tournament.</p>
<p><i>For more information on the US Open check out SB Nation's golf blog <a href="http://www.waggleroom.com/">Waggle Room,</a>SB Nation DC's US Open </i><a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/2011/4/29/2142662/us-open-golf-championship-2011-field">storystream</a><i> and SB Nation's <a href="http://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/6/golf">pro golf hub</a>.</i></p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/6/19/2232098/us-open-2011-final-round-rory-mcilroy-moves-to-15-under-par-leads-byJared Smith2011-06-19T08:31:41-04:002011-06-19T08:31:41-04:00US Open 2011 (Final Round): Rory McIlroy On The Verge Of Redemption
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<p>It was just a few months ago when the Rory McIlroy, the golfing superstar from Northern Ireland, had a four-stroke lead lead heading into the final round of the Masters. What happened next was hard to watch as the 22-year old sprayed the ball all over Augusta National Golf Club to shoot 80 and lose a chance to collect his first major title.</p>
<p>Fast forward to Sunday afternoon, after three unbelievable rounds of golf, McIlroy will begin the final round of the 111th US Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD. with a 54-hole record score of 14-under par and an eight-shot lead over Korea's Y.E. Yang. Yang sits in second place at 6-under par, while Robert Garrigus (USA), Jason Day (Australia) and Lee Westwood (England) each are a total of 5-under par, nine shots off the lead.</p>
<p>Needless to say, golf fans will either witness the greatest collapse in golf history Sunday or something nobody, not even Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus, has accomplished.</p>
<p>I can't wait to watch the latter.</p>
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<p>"From the experience that I had at Augusta I know I know how to approach tomorrow, and I think that's the most important thing." McIlroy said to the media after Saturday's third round.</p>
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<p>Entering the final round, McIlroy leads the field in birdies made (15), greens in regulation (85.19 percent) and head-shaking moments (roughly a dozen or more). It's going to take a miracle round from one of his competitors to even make him think about the leaderboard.So, the question everyone will be asking during the final round is: Does McIlroy keep his foot on the gas to destroy the record books or does he back off a bit and play for just the victory?</p>
<p>The journey to the answer begins at 1:30 p.m. when NBC begins its television coverage. Sunday's play begins at 9:30 a.m. when Brad Benjamin and Wes Heffernan tee off, while McIlroy and Yang start at 3:20 p.m.</p>
<p>(For complete U.S. Open TV schedule and tee times <a href="http://www.usopen.com/en_US/index.html#!/scoring/groupings/round4">click here</a>.)</p>
<p><i>For more information on the US Open check out SB Nation's golf blog <a href="http://www.waggleroom.com/">Waggle Room,</a>SB Nation DC's US Open </i><a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/2011/4/29/2142662/us-open-golf-championship-2011-field">storystream</a><i> and SB Nation's <a href="http://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/6/golf">pro golf hub</a>.</i></p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/6/19/2231620/us-open-2011-final-round-rory-mcilroy-tee-times-television-coverage-tv-scheduleJared Smith2011-06-17T09:30:38-04:002011-06-17T09:30:38-04:00US Open Golf Tournament 2011: Rory McIlroy Atop Leaderboard As Round Two Begins
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<p>Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who shot a flawless 6-under par, 65, Thursday afternoon to snag the open-round lead at the 2011 US Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD., has made a birdie on the fourth hole to move to 7-under par and earn a four-stroke lead. McIlroy teed off at 7;55 a.m. Friday morning with Phil Mickelson (currently, 2-over par) and Dustin Johnson (5-over par), is in command of the golf course, which is giving all other golfers fits.</p>
<p>Korea's Y.E. Yang, who tees off at 1:35 p.m. Friday, shot a 3-under par, 68, Thursday and sits in second place. Currently, there are seven players who're 2-under par. Cottekill, NY native Chris Deforest, who shot an even-par, 71, Thursday, has just teed off at hole one. Yesterday, Deforest was near the top of the leaderboard, but fell a bit after making a few bogies on his closing holes.</p>
<p>Other round-two tee teams feature: The big-European three of Luke Donald (ranked No. 1 in the world), Lee Westwood (No. 2) and Martin Kaymer (No. 3) shot a combined 10-over par Thursday and begin on hole one at 1:46 p.m. Defending champion, Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, shot a 1-under par, 70, Thursday and begins on No. 10 at 1:35 p.m. Erie Els (+2), Davis Love III (-1) and Jim Furyk (+3) each start on No. 10 at 1:57 p.m.</p>
<p>Here's Friday's US Open television schedule:</p>
<ul>
<li>ESPN coverage, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.</li>
<li>NBC coverage, 3 - 5 p.m.</li>
<li>ESPN coverage, 5 - 7 p.m.</li>
</ul>
<p><i>For more information on the US Open check out SB Nation's golf blog <a href="http://www.waggleroom.com/">Waggle Room,</a>SB Nation DC's US Open </i><a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/2011/4/29/2142662/us-open-golf-championship-2011-field">storystream</a><i> and SB Nation's <a href="http://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/6/golf">pro golf hub</a>.</i></p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/6/17/2228702/us-open-golf-tournament-2011-leaderboard-tv-schedule-round-two-tee-times-rory-mcilroyJared Smith