McIlroy then did something that even Tiger has never managed; he won (fairly) comfortably coming from three shots behind on the back nine. The fact that he did it in near darkness, practically playing alongside Mickelson and Fowler in the group ahead just added to the intense drama and excitement. But for his back-nine implosion at the Masters Tournament in 2010 he could already have a career Grand Slam. He might well achieve that at Augusta next spring and be three-quarters of the way to a "Rory Slam".
There's no question that he has taken huge strides physically and particularly mentally over the past few months. No one has ever questioned his immense talent to play the game, but he's often looked vulnerable when things weren't quite right, in a way that Tiger very rarely, if ever, did. That's all changed, and whilst he maintains his charming and open demeanour (in a way that Tiger very rarely, if ever, did), he is now a man genuinely to be feared. The rest have given their best and come up short. There may still be a question mark as to how he will fare in hard and bouncy conditions, but one suspects he will now find a way.
It will be intriguing to see whether he can maintain this momentum into the Ryder Cup. It's a huge ask. When Padraig Harrington won The Open and the USPGA in 2008 he arrived at the Ryder Cup as a hollow shell with little left to give. The pressures on McIlroy are even greater thanks to his brilliance.
Paul McGinley is an intelligent man and will be a shrewd captain. Doubtless he will have given much thought as to how to get the best out of his young star. That must include not playing him in all five matches, although the temptation will be huge if he's playing well. There's no need for that now that Europe invariably has 12 world-class players. McGinley's team is just about as strong as he could hope for, although Kaymer's form has tailed off dramatically since winning The Players Championship and The US Open, and Ian Poulter (assuming he's had the Captain's nod) has been struggling with his putting, which has traditionally been one of his great strengths.
The bookies have Europe as clear favourites and it's not hard to see why. Tom Watson has a headache; no Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, or Steve Stricker (Assistant Captain), and Jason Dufner and Matt Kuchar are both vulnerable with injuries. Jordan Spieth (who could yet form the next Great Triumvirate with McIlroy and Fowler) has dropped right out of form, leaving Bubba Watson, Mickelson, Fowler and Furyk as the main threat, bolstered by some (presumably) in-form picks.
The PGA Centenary Course (regular readers will know what I think about that name!) is an uninspiring creation standing alongside James Braid's wonderful King’s and Queen’s courses. It favours neither side in particular, meaning there's very little home advantage. It is however a very good viewing course for the many thousands of spectators who will brave whatever conditions fate throws at them. Back in 2010 there were numerous injuries including broken limbs as the enthusiastic masses slithered and stumbled down the boggy Welsh hillsides of Celtic Manor. No doubt the brilliant St John's Ambulance staff will be on red alert again. It's not exactly flat at Gleneagles.
The PGA of America summoned a former winning captain in Tom Watson to put some steel back into the US team. The way things stand right now he'll need a large junk of Krypton too. Well, Superman did grow up in Kansas, Watson's home state. Clark Kent or not, my money's on an eighth European win in the last ten outings. On paper Europe are superior, but the Ryder Cup's not played on paper. It could end as papier-mâché though if the Scottish weather doesn't oblige!
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