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 McIlroy ended a stellar campaign with four victories and five
runner-up spots in 23 starts worldwide, embellishing his credentials
as a genuine golfing great in what many regard as a handover of the
'Tiger' torch to usher in a new 'Rory' era.
While former world number one Woods failed to add to his career
major tally of 14 and played just eight tournaments during a winless
and truncated season, McIlroy proved to be the player to beat
virtually every time he teed off in competition.
McIlroy dominated golf's biggest events in the latter half of 2014
after American left-hander Bubba Watson had clinched the Masters for
a second time in three years and Germany's Martin Kaymer had coasted
to an eight-shot victory at the U.S. Open.
Swede Henrik Stenson, Australian Adam Scott and Spaniard Sergio
Garcia each triumphed once as they also produced impressively
consistent golf during the year but McIlroy set himself apart from
his closest rivals, just as he did in 2012.
 Having endured a turbulent 2013 on and off the course, McIlroy was
once again a picture of focus and consistency, finishing no worse
than 25th in 17 starts on the 2013-14 PGA Tour and recording three
victories among 12 top-10 placings.
He also claimed the European Tour's money list trophy for the second
time in three years and played an influential role in Europe's Ryder
Cup victory over the United States in September.
McIlroy never looked back after recording his first win of the year
at the European Tour's flagship BMW PGA Championship in May, just a
few days after breaking up with his tennis-playing fiancee Caroline
Wozniacki.
"Every time I teed it up, I felt like I had a good chance to win,"
McIlroy said of his superb form in 2014, highlighted by consecutive
major wins at the British Open and PGA Championship sandwiched
around a victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
"That's what I feel like I need going forward, consistency in my
game and being up there each and every week," added the four-times
major champion. BACK AT THE TOP
McIlroy, who dropped to sixth in the world rankings after struggling
with an equipment change and off-course distractions in 2013,
enhanced his standing as golf's top player and many of his peers
expect him to remain there for some time.
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"I think we are witnessing at least a five-year spell as world
number one (for McIlroy)," former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell
said of his compatriot and long-time friend in a column for BBC
Sport last month.
"I think he is going to dominate in the way Tiger Woods did in the
early 2000s."
In April, the long-hitting Watson withstood an inspired early
challenge from playing partner and compatriot Jordan Spieth in the
final round to win the season's opening major, the Masters, by three
shots at Augusta National.
Two months later in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, an ice-cool Kaymer
thrived in sweltering conditions to leave his closest pursuers
trailing in his wake as he confirmed his status as one of the game's
very best.
McIlroy clinched the British Open, golf's oldest major, by two
strokes at Royal Liverpool in July and three weeks later went on to
win the PGA Championship at Valhalla by one shot after a pulsating
finale in near darkness.
Woods, meanwhile, missed the Masters and the U.S. Open following
surgery to alleviate a disk issue before finishing 69th at the
British Open.
After missing the cut at the PGA Championship, he was once again on
the sidelines for four months while recovering from a back injury.
(Editing by Frank Pingue)
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