RORY MCILROY – WITH HIS WGC – BRIGESTONE INVITATIONAL SUCCESS
It is McIlroy’s eighth European Tour International Schedule victory in his 139th European Tour event.
McIlroy moes back to Number One in the Official World Golf Ranking from second after Australia’s Adam Scott finished T8th.
It is McIlroy’s third European Tour victory of the 2014 season, following the BMW PGA Championship and The 143rd Open Championship.
It’s the first time he has recorded three European Tour victories in the same season and he’s now captured three of his past six European Tour events dating back to his BMW PGA Championship success.
McIlroy is the first player also to win three events on The European Tour International Schedule in the 2014 seasoMcIlroy’s Euro 1,139,757 first prize cheque has taken his European Tour earnings through the Euro 20m barrier to Euro 20,562,813
Rory McIlroy wins back-to-back adding a first WGC title to his first Open Championship success. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
He now becomes the eighth highest earning player on the all-time European Tour money list.
It is his first World Golf Championship title in his 22nd WGC appearance.
This victory beats his previous best WGC performance of second in the 2012 WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship. (His previous best WGC stroke play finish was third in the 2012 WGC – Cadillac Championship.
Victory comes in his sixth WGC – Bridgestone Invitational appearance and beats his previous best WGC – Bridgestone Invitational of tied fifth in 2012.
It continues a wonderful record at Firestone’s South Course. Was tied ninth in 2010, tied sixth in 2011, tied fifth in 2012 and first in 2014.
From his 22 WGC appearances has now finished in the top ten on 13 occasions.
McIlroy becomes the second Northern Irishman to win the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational, following Darren Clarke in 2003.
And also is just the second European Tour to win the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational, following Darren Clarke in 2003.
OTHER FACTS
He becomes the fifth player from the United Kingdom to win a WGC event, following Darren Clarke (2000 WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship and 2003 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational), Luke Donald (2011 WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship), Ian Poulter (2010 WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship and 2012 WGC – HSBC Champions) and Justin Rose (2012 WGC – Cadillac Championship).
He becomes the ninth different player to win the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational.
He becomes the 11th different European Tour Member to win a WGC event.
He also becomes the 14th WGC victory by a European Tour Member.
McIlroy is the 29th different player to win a WGC event in the 52nd playing of an individual WGC event.
He joins Tiger Woods (1999), Craig Parry (2002), Stewart Cink (2004), Vijay Singh (2008), Hunter Mahan (2010), Adam Scott (2011) and Keegan Bradley (2012), as players making the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational their first WGC title.
He is the 14th different player to win a Major Championship and a WGC title.
He joins Darren Clarke, Ernie Els, Martin Kaymer, Justin Rose and Vijay Singh as European Tour Members to win both a Major Championship and a WGC title.
Aged 25 years and 91 days McIlroy is the youngest European winner of a WGC event.
Began the final day three shots behind Sergio Garcia and becomes the 20th player this season to win after making up a final round deficit.
Has now won in his last two European Tour appearances, following The Open Championship. Is the first time he has won in consecutive European Tour appearances.
McIlroy is the first player to win The Open Championship and win again in their next European Tour appearance since Tiger Woods. The American won The Open in 2006 and won on his next European Tour outing at the US PGA Championship.
He is the first player to win in consecutive European Tour appearances since Phil Mickelson at the 2013 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and The Open Championship.
It is only the third of his eight European Tour wins where he has made up a final round deficit to win. Made up seven to win the 2014 BMW PGA Championship, three to win the 2011 Hong Kong Open and three at the 2014 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational.
McIlroy’s is the 53rd Northern Irish win in European Tour history.
It is the fourth Northern Irish victory of the season. They are: Rory McIlroy (BMW PGA Championship, The 143rd Open Championship and WGC – Bridgestone Invitational) and Graeme McDowell (Alstom Open de France).
He becomes the 10th player in European Tour history to win more than €20 million in European Tour Official Career Earnings.
He moves to 434.26 in The Ryder Cup World Points List.
It is his 14th victory as a professional.
