As Rory McIlroy pared the 18th hole to finish the final day just 1-under-par, his name was being engraved on the famous Claret Jug.

From days Thursday through Saturday, McIlroy dominated the opposition. It wasn't until the final Sunday when Serio Garciá was just two shots back that his lead was threatened. His wire-to-wire British Open victory is the first of his career and his third major championship.

McIlroy's win at Royal Liverpool has put his name in history. He is the third youngest male golfer in PGA History to ever win three career majors, at age 25. Jack Nicklaus was 23 years old when he won his third major and Tiger Woods was just 24 years old when he won his third. He is also just the third Northern Irish-born golfer to win the British Open, joining Fred Daly and Darren Clarke.

His 2013 campaign was a rough one, for his standards. Only once did he finish inside the top 25 in the four majors and he missed the British Open cut entirely last year. What a turnaround. It looks like focusing on golf and winning instead of marriage paid off for McIlroy.

The only major that McIlroy hasn't won is the Masters. His best finish at Augusta came this year when he finished in a tie for eighth place. A victory at the Masters would give McIlroy the career grand slam, an accomplishment that only five other golfers have been able to achieve.

McIlroy is now ranked No. 2 in the world golf rankings, one behind Adam Scott. The highest American-born golfer is Bubba Watson at No. 6, while Serio Garciá is ranked No. 5, the highest of any Spanish golfer.

Of course the odds are stacked against him to catch Jack Nicklaus at 18 career majors, but at just 25 years old, his ceiling is high. With Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson nearing the end of their careers, golf needs a new face of their sport. McIlroy is one of the most marketable athletes in the world and the success has been there, so far.

McIlroy has a great chance to win more than 10 majors in his career because he can drive, chip, and putt. He has a well balanced game that can last a long time. The only major left remaining this year is the PGA Championship, which tees off on Aug. 7 in Louisville, Kentucky.

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