McIlroy targets more majors after record-breaking US Open triumph

And even if the margin was not quite as great - eight shots as opposed to 12 - the statement was just as loud.

There is a new kid on the block and, as Ernie Els was predicting only last Tuesday, he is capable of re-writing history.

But what made the 22-year-old’s runaway victory at Congressional last night all the more remarkable were two things above all else - he is the second successive Irish winner and he suffered that golfing nightmare at Augusta in April.

“It will probably take a little bit of time to sink in,” said McIlroy after a closing 69 had taken him to an incredible 16 under par and had made him the youngest European major champion since 1872.

“Just to sit here, knowing that I’ve just won that trophy and followed in the footsteps of one of my best friends Graeme McDowell last year at Pebble, it’s a great feeling.

“For such a small nation to win two US Opens in a row is pretty special. As Graeme said last year, there will be a lot of pints of Guinness going down.

“To get my first major championship out of the way quite early on in my career, especially after what’s happened the last couple of months, feels great.

“Now I’m just looking forward to putting myself in the picture for hopefully many more.”

There seems little doubt about that the way he demolished the world’s best - minus the injured Woods - and became only the third player to win the title with four rounds in the 60s.

Whereas Woods broke the Masters record by only one McIlroy lowered the US Open mark by four - and this after only two previous professional victories and in the very next major after a closing 80 when four clear.

“Augusta I felt was a great opportunity to get my first major and it obviously didn’t quite work out. To come back straightaway is nice,” added McIlroy.

“I can always call myself a major champion now - and hopefully in the not-so-distant future I’ll be able to call myself a multiple major champion.”

Jack Nicklaus, whose 18 majors is now starting to look a tough ask for Woods after he has been stuck on 14 for three years, certainly believes in the young Ulsterman.

Reminded that McIlroy is a few months younger than he was at the 1962 US Open - his first major - the Golden Bear said: “He’s ahead - and his score is way ahead of my pace.

“I think this kid’s going to have a great career - I don’t think there’s any question about it.

“He’s humble when he needs to be humble and confident when he needs to be confident. I like his moxie - he’s cocksure and I like that. You’ve got to have that.

“He obviously had a couple if disappointments at The Masters and last year’s Open (McIlroy started 63-80 at St Andrews), but I didn’t think that was going to happen again and it hasn’t.”