Anyone for Tennis Mr McIlroy?

Golf's new world No1, Rory McIlroy, tried his hand at a different sport, winning a rally against Maria Sharapova during his girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki's tennis exhibition.

Wozniacki summoned McIlroy from his courtside seat at Madison Square Garden and handed him the racquet in a lighthearted moment before the final game of her match, which she lost 6-3, 6-4.

McIlroy resisted at first but then placed the tennis ball down on the blue surface, addressed it as if hitting a golf chip shot, then picked it up and started a friendly rally with Sharapova, who is ranked No2 in the world.

After trading some gentle shots, the Russian sent an overhand long to the delight of the crowd and McIlroy quit while he was ahead, scurrying back to his seat.

McIlroy, who rose to the top of the world rankings after winning the Honda Classic in Florida on Sunday, said afterwards it was "nice to take a little break from golf".

The Northern Irishman, who was besieged by autograph hunters during changeovers, acknowledged he was not quite ready to eclipse Wozniacki in the world rankings.

"Another couple of years," said the curly-haired 22-year-old. Wozniacki said she did not send McIlroy sweets or flowers after his Sunday victory.

"I don't want his head to become too big, so no," she said. American Andy Roddick finished up the programme by beating Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6.

Forgotten GMAC Enjoys Rory Record

Graeme McDowell congratulated Rory McIlroy for becoming number one in the world, saying: “He’s the best player I’ve ever seen.”

McIlroy, golf’s man of the moment, yesterday held off a challenge from the sport’s last big star, Tiger Woods, to win the Honda Classic in Florida and replace Luke Donald at the top of the rankings.

Woods carded an eight-under-par 62 but, coming from nine behind, it was not enough to stop McIlroy.

“He deserves it,” said fellow Northern Irishman McDowell. “I think he’s the best player on the planet right now.

“He’s the best player I’ve ever seen tee-to-green, period. I didn’t have a chance to play with Tiger early-to-mid-2000s when Tiger was the man, but Rory McIlroy is the best player I’ve ever seen.”

McIlroy’s putting has often been questioned, but it came to his rescue on the final day.

On the front nine he saved pars from 13, eight and 12 feet and all day he did not miss once from under 10 feet.

McDowell added: “As soon as he learned how to putt, he was going to be a dominating force, and you’re starting to see that now.”

McDowell feels a prolonged return to form from Woods would be good for the game.

“This golf season just got a lot more spicy,” he said.

“Obviously Tiger is back doing outrageous things that only Tiger can do, and you know, we have got a world-class field around him now as well.

“So I’m excited to be part of that.”

McIlroy Reaches Number 1

Rory McIlroy moved to the top of the world rankings after winning the Honda Classic by two strokes in Florida.

The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland showed great resolve, dropping only one shot in a final round of 69 for a 12-under-par total.

He withstood a superb final day charge from Tiger Woods, the youngest man to reach the number one spot, who had two eagles in a 62 to share second.

Lee Westwood had five birdies and an eagle in a 63 for fourth place.

It was a final round full of character from McIlroy, who has grown significantly in stature since imploding at last year's Masters with a closing 80 having led by four shots going into the final round.

The Northern Irishman becomes the second youngest player to reach number one.

He claimed his first title as a 19-year-old at the Dubai Desert Classic in 2009, secured his first major at last year's US Open and also won the Hong Kong Open in December.

This season he reached the final of the World Match Play event in Arizona, losing to Hunter Mahan in the final last weekend.

The final round was brought forward because of the threat of thunderstorms but though the conditions were breezy in the early part of the day they eased and were played out in warm afternoon sunshine.

When veteran Tom Gillis bogeyed his second hole in succession at the 10th McIlroy had a comfortable four-shot advantage with eight holes to play.

However, McIlroy hit a wayward drive at the 12th and dropped his first shot in 23 holes when he missed from 15 feet for par.

The drama intensified when Woods, who collected an eagle and three birdies in his first 11 holes to move into contention having been nine shots off the pace in joint 18th overnight, birdied the 17th and 18th in vintage fashion.

Having holed a huge putt at the par-three 17th, the last of the famous Bear Trap holes, the 36-year-old landed an imperious iron shot from a hanging lie in the semi rough on the final fairway onto the front of the green and set up an eagle chance to take him within one shot of McIlroy.

He duly rolled the eight-foot putt into the centre of the hole and saluted the exuberant crowd with a trademark fist pump, but McIlroy restored a two-stroke cushion after pitching superbly from 92 yards to five feet at the 13th.

McIlroy found a perilous spot in thick rough to the right of the 14th green but produced a deft chip and run down the hill to three feet and comfortably saved par.

His tee shot at the next went left into the bunker but despite a stone near his ball he splashed out to six feet and calmly stroked in the putt.

At the 17th, another par-three with water guarding the green, McIlroy found the bunker with his tee shot but escaped magnificently again to three feet and holed the putt.

Another assured putt from four feet secured a closing par five and saw him replace Luke Donald as the new world number one.

Westwood, who played the first three rounds with Woods, also produced a superb final day display, a birdie chance slipping narrowly by at the 16th and another at the last for a round of 62 also passing agonisingly past the cup.

Joint halfway leader Justin Rose had reached nine under but found the water at the 15th, the first of the Bear Trap holes, and dropped another shot at the 17th to finish with a 70 and a share of fifth.

YOUNGEST TO REACH NO:1

21 Tiger Woods (US), 1997

22 Rory McIlroy (NI), 2012

26 Martin Kaymer (Ger), 2011

27 David Duval (US), 1999

27 Ernie Els (SA), 1997

28 Bernhard Langer (Ger), 1986

29 Seve Ballesteros (Sp), 1986

Looking After Number One

Rory McIlroy holds a two stroke lead as he heads into the round which could see him crowned World Number One for the first time.

The 22 year old Northern Irishman's 66 at the Honda Classic in Florida on Saturday took him to 11 under par - and his two closest challengers entering the final day are players ranked 269th and 216th.

They are Americans Tom Gillis and Harris English, the former a 43 year old self confessed journeyman and the other a 22 year old rookie professional.

England's Justin Rose had shared the halfway lead with Gillis, but had to scramble for all he was worth for a one over 71 that left him in joint fourth place and four behind.

McIlroy has to win to dethrone Luke Donald at the top of the rankings, just as he did going into last week's Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson.

He made it all the way through to the final there, but then lost to American Ryder Cup player Hunter Mahan.

With television commentator Johnny Miller purring "that's as good as you can swing", McIlroy looked a class act as he hit back from a sticky patch midway through the front nine.

McIlroy had a hat trick of birdies starting on the long third, two putting there and then holing from 22 and ten feet.

He was two clear at that point, but promptly bogeyed the next two, coming up short of the green on the sixth and three putting the short seventh.

That gave Gillis the lead again and he stayed there with a remarkable run around the turn.

On the eighth he took a shoe and sock off and rolled up his trouser leg to play his ball out of the edge of the water and holed from 33 feet for par.

He followed that with a 28 footer for another par, birdied the tenth from five feet and then rescued a further par from 33 feet again on the next.

McIlroy had birdied the 11th from 45 feet after his approach from the rough only just carried the lake and a glorious nine iron to five feet at the 15th led to him regaining top spot on his own when Gillis failed to get up and down from sand there.

Bunkered in two at the par five last, McIlroy splashed out 12 feet past the flag, but made it to complete another fine day's work.

McIlroy said: "This is where I want to be. This is why I play golf, to put myself in contention to win tournaments and try to become the best player in the world."

Asked if he had learnt anything from last week, he replied: "It's a different format and the approach is slightly different.

"I didn't have as much time to think about it there because I went straight from the semi-final (a win over Lee Westwood) into the final.

"I've just got to try to approach it like any other tournament."

Compatriot Graeme McDowell's 69 put him in a share of tenth place, but he was seven back, while Gary Christian was one further behind following a second successive 67.

Tiger Woods was in 18th place on two under after a 69 and Westwood (70) one under after playing with the former World Number One for the third day in a row.

Woods threatened to climb into the hunt when he birdied the third, fourth and seventh, but he never had another all day and bogeyed the 13th.

"I putted great and I was close to putting a low one up there," he said. "I felt like I could post five under par for the day or something like that and get myself within reach."

On McIlroy possibly being 18 holes from the world number one spot he added: "I played with him in Abu Dhabi the first two days (last month). He's still learning.

"He's developed a lot, but also he's got a lot to learn too, which anyone that age does."

With the possibility of thunderstorms in the Palm Beach Gardens area on Sunday afternoon, tournament organisers decided to move tee times forward.

McIlroy was due to tee off at 10.30am local time in a threeball with Gillis and English. Winds as high as 25 mph were aexpected.

Wozzilroy Enjoying Life

Rory McIlroy was on the practice green on Thursday at Dove Mountain, taking strokes with a putter in his right hand as he talked on a mobile phone in his left.

Before McIlroy teed off in the second round of the Accenture Match Play Championship, he checked in with his girlfriend, Danish tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, who was in Dubai for a tournament. McIlroy said he watched her match before arriving at the course for his 3 and 2 victory against Wozniacki’s compatriot Anders Hansen.

Three years ago, McIlroy made his professional debut in the United States at this event and reached the quarter-finals, impressing onlookers with his game and his grounded demeanour.

Ernie Els, a three-time Major champion, predicted at the time that McIlroy, a freckle-faced youngster with clown hair, would one day reach number one. After his 3 and 1 victory over Lee Westwood in yesterday’s semi-final, McIlroy was one victory away from realising that prophecy – although Hunter Mahan was to prove too great an obstacle.

“It’s a nice incentive,” McIlroy said. “It’s nice to have in the back of your mind. And if you are struggling in a match and find it hard to get yourself up or get any sort of momentum, you think about that and you think if you can really dig deep you still have a chance to become number one.”

Since winning last year’s US Open, McIlroy (22) has split from long-time manager Chubby Chandler over a reported disagreement on the best course to promote his personal brand, decided to move from Belfast to Florida, parted ways with his childhood sweetheart and begun a relationship with Wozniacki, who started this year the way McIlroy hopes to end it: at number one in the world.

Has the pride of the Co Down town of Holywood gone Hollywood?

Asked last week about the upheaval, McIlroy said: “Things change, and you know, people move on. I felt like I just needed a few fresh ideas and – yeah, I feel very content and very happy at the moment with everything that’s going on.

“And I feel like my golf game is in good shape. I think when things are in order off the golf course, it can allow you to play better on it.”

McIlroy’s celebrity, which was budding three years ago in the desert, has since bloomed. If any pruning is necessary, it was not evident on Wednesday when McIlroy was the last player to advance, sealing his two-up first-round victory against George Coetzee under the veil of dusk.

After meeting reporters, McIlroy stopped at the range, which he had to himself. For the next 25 minutes, he hit 47 balls. Between shots, he discussed with his caddie, JP Fitzgerald, swings he had made during the round, while Horizon’s Conor Ridge, who succeeded Chandler as McIlroy’s manager, watched.

A small crowd gathered behind the range and admired the flight of McIlroy’s shots. When he was done, he walked over to the fans straining against the security barrier and signed autographs. As he exited the range, Ridge asked about dinner, and McIlroy said he had to go to the gym first.

The spotlight casts a shadow on McIlroy’s work ethic. The strength of his game is his driving, but he dispatched Hansen with deft play on and around the greens.

“I’ve been working on that part of my game,” he said. “It’s something I felt I needed to improve, to be honest.”

In his next match, a 3 and 1 victory against Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez, McIlroy missed two putts inside five feet and fluffed a couple of chips, but his iron play was crisp.

Jimenez, who at 48 is old enough to be McIlroy’s father, had a warm exchange with him afterward. “Miguel told me he hopes I go all the way and get number one,” he said.

Despite the outcome last night, McIlroy has been heartened by his early results, including a second and a fifth in his first two European Tour events.

“When I don’t have my best game I’m confident I can hang in there,” he said, adding: “I’m a more mature player and a more mature person.

“The more tournaments you play, the more experience you get. I’m learning from my mistakes.”

The final round of the 2011 Masters was a painful lesson.

McIlroy held a four-stroke lead after 54 holes but closed with an 80 to finish 10 shots behind the winner and then fellow ISM stablemate Charl Schwartzel, who learned a lot about McIlroy afterwards as they travelled by private jet to a tournament in Asia.

“He came up to me, congratulated me, wanted to take photos with me,” Schwartzel said. “He joked, ‘At least the green jacket is on the airplane’. It was a very unbelievable thing for him to do. It shows his character, what sort of person he is. That’s why he’s obviously having the success he has, because of the attitude he’s got.”

In interviews, there are still shades of the smiling, wide-eyed teenage McIlroy who came to Arizona in 2009 and expressed his esteem for Tiger Woods and his desire to crack the world top 10.

“I just feel like I’m a more experienced player and a better player,” McIlroy said. “But you know, still obviously loving every minute of it, being on tour and having a good time, taking in everything that comes my way.”