skip to main content

Rory McIlroy won his fourth Major after a gripping battle that forced him to play his very best golf.

Updated / Monday, 11 Aug 2014 17:01

Heavy rain in Kentucky held up play for several hours before the start of the final round

Rory McIlroy won his fourth Major after a gripping battle that forced him to play his very best golf.

The sodden conditions caused problems for spectators as well

On the range: McIlroy warms up before the final round - he carded two bogeys early on to give others a shot at glory

Ernie Els - who had wanted play to be held over to Monday - hit a brilliant 65 to set the early pace

Phil Mickelson got early momentum with birdies at at the first and third hole and eventually shot 31 for the front nine

It could have been ever better if this putt had dropped on seven

FORE! Henrik Stenson and his caddie signal a rare wayward shot - the Swede took just 30 shots for his front nine

Ricky Fowler reacts to this shot on the fifth - a hole he birdied - as caddie Joe Skovron sees the funny side. Fowler and Mickelson held the lead round the turn.

The key shot: McIlroy watches his 3-wood cut streak down the left of the par-five tenth hole

Caddie JP Fitzgerald and McIlroy after McIlroy had rolled in the putt from seven feet to claim the eagle that put him back in control of the championship

Stenson was part of a four-way tie for the lead but was the first to crack on the back nine

After a miracle par from the wrong fairway on 13, Fowler finally carded a bogey on the 14th (above) and would eventually finish tied for third with Stenson

After the 12th, Mickelson relied on his short game to make a string of brilliant escapes but a bogey on 16 stalled his challenge

One final piece of brilliance, an eight-iron from the sand on 17, saw McIlroy sink another birdie and establish a two-shot lead

Gathering darkness meant he, Mickelson and Fowler played the final hole together, a sporting gesture McIlroy would later applaud

This Major was once branded 'Glory's Last Shot'... Mickelson's valiant chip for eagle rolled just past the hole on 18

In near-darkness, McIlroy holes the winning putt

A Seve-like celebration from Europe's leading player and now four-time Major winner

Father Gerry is one of the first to congratulate Rory on the green

Still sharp, McIlroy saves the top part of the massive Wannamaker Trophy from hitting the turf during the presentation

With the Wannamaker Trophy at the post-round press conference

More stories on

Read Next