New world number one Rory McIlroy showed his status is on the money by coming from behind to win the USPGA Championship at Valhalla by a shot over veteran Phil Mickelson.
The 96th edition ended up being a mighty golfing showdown at the Valhalla Corral.
There was a deluge during the late morning that left Valhalla looking more like Sydney Harbour.
How the army of maintenance staff had the course playable 100 minutes later was nothing short of extraordinary.
The final round started with Rory McIlroy leading at 13-under to Austrian Bernd Wiesbreger (12-under), with Ricky Fowler, Jason Day, and Phil Mickelson at 10-under and Louis Oosthuizen and Henrik Stenson at 9-under.
Very quickly Day and Oosthuizen were left in the stream, while McIlroy had early putting problems.
It was Fowler who made the first move to lead on his own, but at varying stages he was joined by playing partner Mickelson, and Stenson who moved into top gear.
At one stage McIlroy was three shots off the pace when Fowler, Mickelson and Stenson were leading at 15-under.
But a patient McIlroy eagled the 13th to be a shot back, and birdied the 13th to join Fowler, Mickelson, and Stenson in the four-way lead.
It was game on.
Then there was a dramatic change from the superb golf that was being played by the quartet in front of huge crowds.
Fowler and Stenson both bogeyed 14, Mickelson bogeyed 16, and as quickly as McIlroy had fallen behind early in the round, the 25-year-old from County Down was back in the lead at 15-under on his own, with Fowler, Mickelson, and Stenson at 14-under.
But when McIlroy birdied 17, it was all over bar the shouting at 16-under, leading by two shots with a hole to play.
McIlroy carded a final round 68 to finish at 16-under.
Mickelson birdied the last for a 66 and 15-under, Stenson also finished with a 66 to be 14-under, while Fowler had a 68 for 14-under.
Jim Furyk and Ryan Palmer finished 12-under, while there was a bunch at 11-under – Walker, Els, Victor Dubuisson, Hunter Mahan, Steve Stricker, and Mikko Ilonen.
South African Ernie Els, and his American playing partner Jimmy Walker both fired in the best rounds of the day with 65s.
Adam Scott was the best of the Australians with a final round 69 to finish 9-under in a tie for 15th.
Jason Day didn’t enjoy himself with a 72 to finish 9-under, Marc Leishman had a 69 to be 2-under, while Geoff Ogilvy and Matt Jones both carded even par 72s, to finish at 1-under.
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