Rory McIlroy wins PGA by record 8

Standing on the 18th tee with a seven-shot lead, McIlroy turned to caddie J.P. Fitzgerald and said, "I'm going to win this one by eight, as well."

McIlroy rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt, raising the putter in his left hand as the ball rolled true to the center of the cup, saving enough strength to lift the heavy Wanamaker Trophy after another command performance in a major championship.

He shattered the scoring record at the U.S. Open. He broke Jack Nicklaus' record in the PGA Championship for margin of victory.

McIlroy took the lead for good Sunday morning with back-to-back birdies on the back nine to finish a rain-delayed third round at 67 for a three-shot lead. No one got closer than two shots at any point in the final round, and that last birdie gave McIlroy a 6-under 66.

David Lynn, a 38-year-old from England who was playing in America for the first time, won the B-flight. He closed with a 68 and was the runner-up.

Woods, who shared the 36-hole lead for the second time this year in a major, was never a serious factor. He tossed away his chances Saturday before the storm blew in and never could get closer than four shots. He closed with a 72, failing to break par on the weekend in any of the four majors for the first time in his career.

McIlroy was 13 shots better than Woods over the last two rounds.

"It was a great round of golf. I'm speechless," McIlroy said after hoisting the trophy. "It's just been incredible. I had a good feeling about it at the start. I never imagined to do this."

Winning the final major of the year ends what had been a tumultuous season for McIlroy. Despite winning the Honda Classic in early March and going to No. 1 for the first time in his career, he went into a tail spin by missing four cuts over five tournaments as questions swirled that his romance with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki was hurting his game.

Instead, McIlroy put a big hurt on the strongest field of the year.

"I was a little frustrated with how I was playing earlier on in the year, but a few people in this room were probably pushing panic buttons for no reason," McIlroy said. "It's just great to be able to put my name on another major championship trophy, and looking forward to April next year and getting a crack at another one."

Woods predicted greatness for McIlroy when he first came to America at 19.

"He's very good. We all know the talent he has," Woods said. "He went through a little spell this year, and I think that was good for him. We all go through those spells in our careers. He's got all the talent in the world to do what he's doing. And this is the way that Rory can play. When he gets it going, it's pretty impressive to watch."

McIlroy finished on 13-under 275.

Ian Poulter put up the stiffest challenge, though not for long. Poulter, who started the final round six shots behind, made six birdies through seven holes to get within two shots. He made three straight bogeys on the back nine and had to settle for a 69. He tied for third at 4-under 284, along with Justin Rose (66) and defending champion Keegan Bradley (68).

In the final qualifying event for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, nothing changed.

Phil Mickelson was holding down the eighth and final spot, and he stayed there when neither Bo Van Pelt nor Steve Stricker could make a move on the back nine. Davis Love III will announce four captains' picks in three weeks.

McIlroy was tied for the lead with Vijay Singh when they returned Sunday. Twenty-seven holes later, McIlroy had no peer in the final major of the year.

When he won the U.S. Open last year, Padraig Harrington suggested that perhaps McIlroy -- not Woods -- might be the one to challenge the record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus. That looked like nothing more than one Irishman boosting another when McIlroy didn't come close in the next five majors.

But now?

"I think winning his second major is going to make things a lot easier for him," Harrington said. "I think last year he proved it, but there's been ups and downs since his last major win because of the pressure and the expectations and the hype. Now he's delivered again. It's going to be a lot easier for him going forward. And he'll get better."

Woods won his second major in his 12th try as a pro. McIlroy won his second in his 16th major.

"It's tough to say that Rory is a Tiger Woods type player," said Graeme McDowell, McIlroy's closest friend on tour. "Tiger Woods is a once-in-a-lifetime player, and Rory is at least a once-in-a-decade type player. He's that good. ... He's going to be a superstar of game, which he already is. But he's a real superstar now."

McIlroy went out in 33, saving par with a 10-foot putt on the ninth hole. That's what Woods used to do in the majors.

Poulter's birdie on the par-5 11th hole closed the gap to two shots, but not for long. From the sandy area short of the 10th green, McIlroy blasted out and closed his eyes when the wind blew sand into his face. He never saw the ball check a foot from the cup. And with a 10-foot birdie putt on the 12th, there was no stopping him.

The win ends a streak of the last 16 majors going to 16 different winners. McIlroy joined Woods, Harrington and Mickelson as the only players to win majors in consecutive years over the last two decades.

Carl Pettersson tried to put up a good fight, though he suffered a setback on the first hole without even realizing it.

The Swede drove just inside a red hazard line. He checked to make sure his club could touch the grass without grounding the club. That part was fine. However, PGA rules officials determined after scrutinizing a video replay that a small leaf moved as Pettersson took back the club. That violates Rule 13-4c -- moving a loose impediment while in a hazard -- and three holes later he was informed it was a two-shot penalty. The par became a double bogey.