Rory: Doubters motivated me

Rory McIlroy: Proud to be called a multiple major winner

Rory McIlroy said he felt better for proving the doubters wrong after storming to an eight-shot victory in the USPGA Championship.

The 23-year-old's winning margin matches that of his other major win - in last year's US Open - and beats Jack Nicklaus's previous record of seven in this event in 1970.

"It took me all of four weeks to get my game back in shape and get out of my mini slump - and this is the result. "
Rory McIlroy Quotes of the week

Now back at the top of the world rankings, McIlroy has quickly moved on from a mini-slump earlier this year when he missed four cuts in five events.

"A few people in this room were probably pressing panic buttons for no reason," he said.

"I don't think I could have answered it in any better way - and yeah, to be honest, it did motivate me. I did want to go out there and prove a few people wrong.

"That's what I did. It took me all of four weeks to get my game back in shape and get out of my mini slump - and this is the result.

"To sit up here and see this trophy and call myself a multiple major champion... not many people have done it and I'm very privileged to join such an elite list of names."

McIlroy, who left the rest for dead in the first golf tournament to have 99 of the world's top 100 playing in it, smiled when reminded he had just taken a record off Nicklaus.

"I don't care if I win by one or by eight - I just want to win - but it's nice to break a record like that, especially of Jack Nicklaus," he said.

"He's the most successful player of all time so far. It's a nice achievement."