Rory McIlroy keeps his head for US Open triumph

Rory McIlroy has done it! The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland last night won his first major with an emphatic eight shot victory in the US Open at Congressional. Two months ago during the Masters at Augusta, McIlroy cracked under pressure in the final round, blowing a four-shot lead and finishing in tears. The only tears at Congressional were of joy as he became the youngest US Open champion since Bobby Jones in 1923 and the youngest player to scoop a major since Tiger Woods stormed to victory in the 1997 Masters.

"The whole week has been incredible - I could not have asked for any more and I am so happy to hold this trophy," said McIlroy, playing in only his tenth major as a professional.

Incredulity was the general reaction to McIlroy's astonishing display at the US Open in which the young Irishman shot rounds of 65, 66, 68 and 69 to post a tournament record total of 16 under 268, besting the previous record by four. Three-times major champion Padraig Harrington predicted later that McIlroy had it in him to surpass Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 major titles. "If you are going to talk about someone challenging Jack's record, there's your man," Harrington said. "Winning majors at 22 with his talent, he would have 20 more years, so probably 100 more majors where he could be competitive."

Such hyperbole was understandable at the end of a tournament that McIlroy dominated , leaving his rivals trailing in his wake. Yet even with an eight shot lead going into the final round there were those who wondered if McIlroy would be able to keep his nerve. The answer was an emphatic yes. He opened with a birdie and carded two more on the fourth and tenth holes. There was a slight blip on the 12th when he made a bogey but another birdie followed on the long 16th.

By the time he dropped a shot on the 17th it didn't matter, the title was all but his as he finished with the fourth highest winning margin in the 111-year history of the US Open history.

Trailing far behind were Jason Day Day of Australia in second and England's Lee Westwood tied for third with South Korea's Yang Yong-Eun and Americans Kevin Chappell and Robert Garrigus.

With compatriot Graeme McDowell having won last year's US Open, McIlroy's victory made it a happy double for Northern Ireland and the youngster confessed he was looking forward to wetting the trophy's head. "For such a small nation to win two US Opens in a row is pretty special. As Graeme [McDowell] said last year, there will be a lot of pints of Guinness going down. I know a few of my friends will be partying and I can't wait to get home and join them." ·