Rory McIlroy wants to become one of the greatest golfers of all time after winning The Open on Sunday for his third major championship success at the age of just 25. The Northern Irishman admitted he had rediscovered his passion for the game after a tumultuous 12 months that saw him suffer the lowest point of his career at Muirfield last year when he missed the cut, split from his fiancee Caroline Wozniacki and became embroiled in a nasty legal dispute with his former manager. Sealed with a kiss: Rory McIlroy finally gets his hands - and lips - on the Claret Jug at Hoylake in July . Aloft: Rory McIlroy holds the Claret Jug after winning the Open Championship on Sunday . VIDEO The Open Championship: Final Round . ‘Golf has become the thing once more that I think about when I get up in the morning and when I go to bed at night,’ he said. ‘I want to be the guy who goes on and regularly wins majors and other tournaments like Jack Nicklaus did and Tiger Woods did. I just want to look forward now and win as many as I can, because I feel there’s a lot more left in me.’ McIlroy won by two shots from American Rickie Fowler and Spaniard Sergio Garcia at the end of a marvellous day of drama played out before a raucous but almost impeccably behaved crowd at Royal Liverpool. The one discordant note was a heckler who persistently put McIlroy off before Rory had him thrown out. ‘He was giving me grief all day,’ he said. ‘I put up with it for the first 15 holes and then he deliberately coughed on my downswing on the 16th tee. Winner: Rory McIlroy has won his third Grand Slam at the age of 25, becoming only the third to do so . Lead from the front: McIlroy now only needs to win The Masters to complete a career Grand Slam . ‘I still hit a great drive but I heard it halfway down and knew who it was, so I had him chucked out.’ After becoming the first European in the modern era to win three different majors, McIlroy added: ‘I’m immensely proud  of myself. To sit here at  my age and be  three-quarters of the way to a career Grand Slam, I never dreamed of being at this point in my career so quickly. ‘This feels unbelievable. Being someone from around here, The Open was the one you really wanted to win growing up, and the one you holed putts on the putting green to win, to beat the likes of Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia and Ernie Els. The more I keep looking at the trophy and seeing my name on it, the more it will start sinking in.’ McIlroy said in January that he wanted to win two majors this year and the season’s final one, the USPGA Championship, is now just a fortnight away. Hats off: McIlroy won his first Open by two shots . Embrace: The champion celebrates with his mum after securing the win . VIDEO Rory McIlroy press conference after claiming victory . ‘I’ll enjoy this with some fine wine in the Claret Jug tonight but then it will be back to work,’ he said. ‘There’s one major to go and I desperately want to win it.’ Runner-up Fowler backed McIlroy for the career Grand Slam. ‘With his game, I don’t see any reason why he won’t win at Augusta,’ said the American. Garcia said sportingly: ‘It was a great week and Rory is a deserved champion.’ McIlroy’s father Gerry won £50,000 for a £100 bet he had a decade ago on his son to win the Open before the age of 26. ‘It’s a nice little bonus for him,’ said Rory, smiling.
McIlroy won for the first time at the Open, his third Grand Slam title .
The Northern Irishman admits he has rediscovered his passion for golf .
He said: ‘I want to be the guy who goes on and regularly wins majors and other tournaments like Jack Nicklaus did and Tiger Woods did'
McIlroy won by two shots from Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia .
Rory McIlroy wants to become one of the greatest golfers of all time after winning The Open on Sunday for his third major championship success at the age of just 25. The Northern Irishman admitted he had rediscovered his passion for the game after a tumultuous 12 months that saw him suffer the lowest point of his career at Muirfield last year when he missed the cut, split from his fiancee Caroline Wozniacki and became embroiled in a nasty legal dispute with his former manager. Sealed with a kiss: Rory McIlroy finally gets his hands - and lips - on the Claret Jug at Hoylake in July . Aloft: Rory McIlroy holds the Claret Jug after winning the Open Championship on Sunday . VIDEO The Open Championship: Final Round . ‘Golf has become the thing once more that I think about when I get up in the morning and when I go to bed at night,’ he said. ‘I want to be the guy who goes on and regularly wins majors and other tournaments like Jack Nicklaus did and Tiger Woods did. I just want to look forward now and win as many as I can, because I feel there’s a lot more left in me.’ McIlroy won by two shots from American Rickie Fowler and Spaniard Sergio Garcia at the end of a marvellous day of drama played out before a raucous but almost impeccably behaved crowd at Royal Liverpool. The one discordant note was a heckler who persistently put McIlroy off before Rory had him thrown out. ‘He was giving me grief all day,’ he said. ‘I put up with it for the first 15 holes and then he deliberately coughed on my downswing on the 16th tee. Winner: Rory McIlroy has won his third Grand Slam at the age of 25, becoming only the third to do so . Lead from the front: McIlroy now only needs to win The Masters to complete a career Grand Slam . ‘I still hit a great drive but I heard it halfway down and knew who it was, so I had him chucked out.’ After becoming the first European in the modern era to win three different majors, McIlroy added: ‘I’m immensely proud  of myself. To sit here at  my age and be  three-quarters of the way to a career Grand Slam, I never dreamed of being at this point in my career so quickly. ‘This feels unbelievable. Being someone from around here, The Open was the one you really wanted to win growing up, and the one you holed putts on the putting green to win, to beat the likes of Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia and Ernie Els. The more I keep looking at the trophy and seeing my name on it, the more it will start sinking in.’ McIlroy said in January that he wanted to win two majors this year and the season’s final one, the USPGA Championship, is now just a fortnight away. Hats off: McIlroy won his first Open by two shots . Embrace: The champion celebrates with his mum after securing the win . VIDEO Rory McIlroy press conference after claiming victory . ‘I’ll enjoy this with some fine wine in the Claret Jug tonight but then it will be back to work,’ he said. ‘There’s one major to go and I desperately want to win it.’ Runner-up Fowler backed McIlroy for the career Grand Slam. ‘With his game, I don’t see any reason why he won’t win at Augusta,’ said the American. Garcia said sportingly: ‘It was a great week and Rory is a deserved champion.’ McIlroy’s father Gerry won £50,000 for a £100 bet he had a decade ago on his son to win the Open before the age of 26. ‘It’s a nice little bonus for him,’ said Rory, smiling.
at the age of just 25. The Northern Irishman admitted he had rediscovered his passion for the said. ‘I want to be the guy who goes on and regularly wins majors and other tournaments like Jack Nicklaus did and Tiger Woods did. I just me.’ McIlroy won by two shots from American Rickie Fowler and Spaniard Sergio Garcia at the Rory McIlroy has won his third Grand Slam at the