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guardian.co.uk, Sunday 4 March 2012 23.22 GMT
Rory McIlroy climbs to world No1 after Honda Classic win
. McIlroy makes final-round birdie to hold lead by two strokes
. Second youngest No1 since rankings began in 1986

Rory McIlroy fulfilled his long-predicted destiny on Sunday, becoming the No1-ranked player with victory over a charging Tiger Woods and one of the strongest fields of the nascent 2012 season, at the Honda Classic in Florida.

The 22-year-old Northern Irishman is the second youngest player in history to ascend to the top of the sport's rankings. Woods made it to the summit in 1997 at the age of 21, an achievement that inspired a generation of young players of whom the new world No1 was one.

McIlroy has long cited Woods as a boyhood hero. Now the pair are competitors, bound together by a rivalry that illuminated a thrilling afternoon at the US PGA National course in Tampa, as the American posted the best final round of his US PGA Tour career - an eight-under 62 - to give the McIlroy the fright of his young life.

It was a moment of truth for the Northern Irishman, a signal that the tournament victory and No1 ranking would not come easily. His one-under round of 69 in response was solid if unspectacular, though in the context of the moment such matters of style hardly mattered.

It was just enough to hold off Woods on the day and overtake Luke Donald at the top of the rankings. "Congrats. Enjoy the view!" Donald tweeted.

"The way I won today was great. It was tough, especially seeing Tiger make a charge," McIlroy said. "I knew par golf would probably be good enough. To shoot one-under in these conditions, when you go into the round with the lead, is very nice. And I was just able to get the job done."

Nine shots behind McIlroy's overnight lead at the start of the day, the former world No1 rolled in four birdies and one eagle over the first 17 holes. Even then he remained three shots adrift and needing to eagle the par-five final hole to put on any kind of pressure.

He duly produced, hitting a beautiful approach shot over the water to eight feet and rolling in the putt for a 62 and a 72-hole total of 10-under par, one shot behind. "It's just building," Woods said of his game. "I was putting together the pieces each and every day. I wasn't that far off, and it was just kind of building. I had a great time out there."

It may have been great for Woods, but it still was not enough to deflect McIlroy from his purpose. With fans' roars echoing across the course, his reaction under pressure was worthy of his new ranking, rolling in an eight-foot downhill putt for birdie on the 13th hole to extend his lead to two shots. He followed that with a convincing under-and-down from the greenside rough at the 14th.

The 15th, 16th and 17th holes at US PGA National - colloquially known as the 'Bear Trap' - are replete with sand and water and have ruined many a dream over the years. McIlroy hit a nervous tee shot on the par-three 15th but executed a beautiful recovery from a greenside bunker.

A routine par at the 16th hole was followed by another good bunker on the penultimate hole for par.

The par-five 18th offered the chance of a birdie but although there were also the risks presented by water around the green, McIlroy played it sensibly and safely, taking the regulation three shots to reach the green. Two putts for par secured the victory, his third on the Tour, and elevated him to the top of the rankings.

Since the US PGA last August he has played in 11 ranking events and finished outside the top five in only one of them. "It means an awful lot to be able to call yourself the No1 player in the world: it is a great achievement," he said. "I am very honoured to join the list of guys who have held that spot. Hopefully I can keep a hold it for a little while.

Enjoy the show!