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HOYLAKE, England -- Walking off the 18th green as the British Open champion, Rory McIlroy kept gazing at all the greats on golfs oldest trophy. Randy Foye Jersey . On the claret jug, his name is etched in silver below Phil Mickelson. In the record book, he is listed behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the youngest to get three legs of the career Grand Slam. And over four days at Royal Liverpool, he had no equal. "Im immensely proud of myself," McIlroy said after his two-shot victory Sunday that was never really in doubt. "To sit here, 25 years of age, and win my third major championship and be three-quarters of the way to a career Grand Slam ... yeah, I never dreamed of being at this point in my career so quickly." He had to work a little harder than he wanted for this one. Staked to a six-shot lead going into the final round, McIlroy turned back every challenge. He made two key birdies around the turn, and delivered a majestic drive at just the right moment to close with a 1-under 71 and complete his wire-to-wire victory. In another major lacking tension over the final hour, what brought The Open to life was the potential of its champion. After nearly two years of turmoil, McIlroy looked like the kid who shattered scoring records to win the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional, and who won the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island by a record eight shots a year later. Boy Wonder is back. Or maybe hes just getting started again. McIlroy won by two shots over Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler to become the first start-to-finish winner since Woods at St. Andrews in 2005. Even with one major left this year, the Northern Irishman already is looking ahead to Augusta National next April for a shot at the slam. "Ive really found my passion again for golf," McIlroy said. "Not that it ever dwindled, but its what I think about when I get up in the morning. Its what I think about when I go to bed. I just want to be the best golfer that I can be. And I know if I can do that, then trophies like this are within my capability." McIlroy put an end to this major with a powerful drive down the fairway at the par-5 16th, setting up a two-putt birdie to restore his lead to three shots. He finished with two pars, tapping in for par on the 18th green. The hard part was trying not to cry when his mother, Rosie, came onto the green with tears streaming down her face. She was not at the other two majors. Before leaving, McIlroy turned and applauded the fans in the horseshoe arena who were witness to another masterpiece. This could have been another romp except for a shaky stretch early for McIlroy, and solid efforts from Garcia and Fowler. Garcia pulled within two shots with four holes to play until he put his tee shot in a pot bunker just right of the 15th green. His first shot failed to get over the 4-foot sodden wall and rolled back into the sand. He made bogey, and two birdies over the final three holes were not enough. Garcia shot 66 and was runner-up in a major for the fourth time. "I think that we gave it a good effort," Garcia said. "And there was someone a little bit better." Fowler, playing in the final group for the second straight major, didnt do anything wrong. He just didnt do enough right to make up a six-shot deficit. Fowler played without a bogey, made three birdies on the last four holes and shot 67. "He played awesome," Fowler said. "And it was just kind of fun to throw a few shots at him coming. To see him win was pretty cool." It was the first time two straight majors were won wire to wire. Martin Kaymer did it last month at Pinehurst No. 2, taking the U.S. Open by eight shots. McIlroy, who finished at 17-under 271, wasnt the only big winner Sunday. Ten years ago, his father and three of his friends each put up 100 pounds ($170) at 500-1 odds that McIlroy would win the British Open before he turned 26. The kid made good on the best with a brand of golf that had him marked early as golfs next great player. McIlroy moved up to No. 2 in the world, perhaps on his way to regaining the No. 1 ranking that once looked as if it would be his for years. He ended the 2012 season by winning his second major and capturing the money title on the PGA Tour and European Tour. Since then, the road has been bumpier than some of the dunes at Hoylake. McIlroy signed a megadeal with Nike and switched out all his equipment. He changed management for the second time, leading to lawsuits that are still to be decided. And after getting engaged to Caroline Wozniacki on New Years Eve, he abruptly broke off the engagement in May with a telephone call. His path to victory in The Open was much smoother. McIlroy made back-to-back bogeys on the front nine and had to save par from a pot bunker to avoid a third. But he steadied himself with a birdie on the par-3ninth, and when Garcia made a 10-foot eagle ahead of him on the 10th to cut the lead to two, McIlroy answered with a two-putt birdie. Garcia blinked when he could least afford it, leaving a shot in the bunker at No. 15 as McIlroy watched from the tee. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., tied for 32nd place after shooting a 71. Jim Furyk was among four players who tied the course record with a 65 to finish fourth. Tiger Woods was long gone. He finished his 75 as McIlroy was still on the practice range. Woods finished 69th -- his worst finish over 72 holes in any major -- and wound up 23 shots behind, his largest deficit ever in a major. Bojan Bogdanovic Jersey . The 27-year-old forward has informed the Leafs that he will be unable to play in Monday nights home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Joe Johnson Jersey .ca has you covered for whos in, whos out and what to expect from all 30 teams.PHILADELPHIA -- Michael Carter-Williams has something to show for being a bright spot in a dismal season for the Philadelphia 76ers. Carter-Williams won the NBAs Rookie of the Year Award on Monday after becoming only the third player since 1950-51 to lead all rookies in scoring (16.7), rebounding (6.3) and assists (6.2). Oscar Robertson (1960-61) and Alvan Adams (1975-76) were the others. Despite the performance of their dynamic guard, the Sixers were awful this season. They were 19-73 and tied an NBA record by losing 26 straight games. "Id definitely trade this award to be in the playoffs in a second," Carter-Williams said. "Coaches tell me to watch the playoffs to look at how different the game is and I do see it. Its a whole different season. This game is about winning. I hope I set a positive example about leading your team in a good way no matter what. I hope guys that come in know the core of this team takes things seriously and we want to build something special." Carter-Williams received 104 of a possible 124 first-place votes. The Orlando Magics Victor Oladipo finished second and Trey Burke of the Utah Jazz was third. "Michael made an immediate impact on the court this season, but his dedication, professionalism and contributions to both the organization and the Philadelphia community make him all the more deserving of this award," Sixers owner Josh Harris said in a statement. "This is an incredibly proud moment for the 76ers and one we are thrilled to share with him, the city and our fans." Allen Iverson is the only other player in Sixers history to win the award. The 11th overall pick from Syracuse in last years draft, Carter-Williams is the first player picked 10th or lower to win since Mark Jackson did it in 1987 for New York. "Michael performed and represented the Sixers organization this past season in a manner befittting of the 2013-14 NBA Rookie of the Year," said co-managing owner David Blitzer. Joe Johnson Nets Jersey. "He never stopped working from the moment he burst onto the national scene in our home opener through the final horn at last game of the season, and we are proud to congratulate him on this well-deserved award." Carter-Williams had a spectacular debut, posting 22 points, 12 assists and nine steals to lead the Sixers to a stunning 114-110 victory over the two-time defending champion Miami Heat. He was the second rookie after Shaquille ONeill to be the Eastern Conference Player of the Week in his first week in the NBA. "By opening night, it was clear to us that Michael belonged," Sixers President Sam Hinkie said. "This award marks a lifetime of hard work. ... We congratulate him on this unique achievement and look forward to helping him put in the work necessary to garner even greater success in the future." First-year coach Brett Brown had enough confidence in Carter-Williams to give him the responsibility of leading the team on the court. They traded away All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday to clear the way for Carter-Williams. With an eye toward the future, the Sixers traded Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen in February. They have a 19.9 per cent chance at getting the No. 1 pick in this years draft and are also owed New Orleans lottery pick -- unless the Pelicans win a top-3 pick. With possibly two first-round selections, Carter-Williams and 2013 lottery pick Nerlens Noel returning from a knee injury, the Sixers could be a contender soon. "When I first got here, I really didnt know what to expect," Carter-Williams said. "I am not a person that trusts a lot of people. My circle is really close, especially when it comes to basketball, because everyone has an opinion. But I have a lot of trust in coach Brown." Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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