RORY MCILROY CONQUERS AMERICA TO CLAIM USPGA

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RORY MCILROY CONQUERS AMERICA TO CLAIM USPGA

RORY MCILROY conquered America again last night - winning the USPGA by eight shots at Kiawah Island after a flawless final round six-birdie 66.

But the 23-year-old from Holywood in Northern Ireland needed to hold his nerve to claim his second Major after being chased hard for 12 holes by Ian Poulter.

English ace Poulter made a blistering start as he birdied six of the first seven holes after finishing off his third round in the morning with a dire 74.

It saw him climb from joint 10th to second on his own at seven under par.

But he bogeyed the short eighth as McIlroy regained his grip on the final Major of the season with birdies of his own at the second, third and long seventh.

Sparkling Poulter birdied the 11th and 12th to close to two again, but then blew up dropping shots at the next three and finished with a 69 for a share of third place.

At the death he was even upstaged by fellow Englishman David Lynn who shot 68 for outright second, with Justin Rose in a share for third after a sparkling final 66 . But it was McIlroy, last year's US Open champion, who took the glory for his second Major win.

And at the age of just 23 years and three months, he is four months younger than Tiger Woods when he grabbed his second big one at the 1999 USPGA.

McIlroy also won his first by an astonishing eight shots, but this one had the extra satisfaction of beating a chasing Woods who was stung after tangling with a prickly pear cactus bush at the 15th as he finished off his third round.

This time McIlroy again proved his inner strength to completely banish the memory of his 2011 US Masters disaster when he led by four after 54 holes and then shot 80 before coming back two months later to win the US Open.

"I learned a lot from The Masters and I thought it would hold me in great stead this afternoon," he said.

"That's definitely something that I can think back to and draw on some of those memories and some of the feelings I had at Congressional.

"You realise that you might not feel the same or your anxiety level is a little bit higher. At least being in that position before I knew what to do again."

As for the wounded Tiger and the cactus, he said: "It got in both legs - well, left shoe, right shoe and then in my right leg.

"It itched like hell for about a hole and then it was gone."

So was his chance for a 15th Major.