section_path: Professional career/2012: World number one, five-win season, second major championship title
section_name: 2012: World number one, five-win season, second major championship title
paragraph_text: 2012: World number one, five-win season, second major championship title
  
  In January, McIlroy finished solo-second at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, one stroke behind winner Robert Rock. At the 2012 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in February, he recorded another runner-up finish, losing to Hunter Mahan, 2 and 1, in the final. The following week, McIlroy won the Honda Classic, where he shot a final round of 69 to finish two strokes ahead of Tiger Woods and Tom Gillis. With this victory, McIlroy reached the number one position in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career. Aged 22, he became the second-youngest man to reach number one, behind Woods who achieved the feat at 21.
  
  At the 2012 Masters Tournament in April, McIlroy was in third place after two rounds, one stroke behind the leaders, but struggled on the weekend with rounds of 77 and 76 and finished in a tie for 40th. In May, he was in contention at the Wells Fargo Championship and went to a playoff with Rickie Fowler and D. A. Points. Fowler won the tournament on the first playoff hole with a birdie.
  
  In August, McIlroy won the 2012 PGA Championship at the Kiawah Island Ocean Course. He birdied the final hole to shoot 66 and win by eight strokes, a new record for the largest margin-of-victory at the PGA Championship. The prior record had stood since Jack Nicklaus won the 1980 PGA Championship by seven strokes. At age 23, McIlroy became the youngest multiple major champion since Seve Ballesteros won the 1980 Masters Tournament.
  
  At the Deutsche Bank Championship in September, McIlroy overcame a three-shot deficit headed into the final round to defeat Louis Oosthuizen by one stroke. The following week. McIlroy won the BMW Championship, two strokes ahead of Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood. He totalled 40-under par across the two tournament victories. With these wins, he became the first European to win four PGA Tour events in a single season and the only person other than Tiger Woods to win four events in a season since 2005.
  
  McIlroy topped the qualification standings for the 2012 Ryder Cup, which was held at Medinah Country Club at the end of September. He picked up three points for the European team. On the final day, a mix up with his tee time meant that he arrived only 12 minutes before he was due to tee off in his Sunday singles match against Keegan Bradley, after being escorted in by a police officer. He defeated Bradley, 2 and 1, to help Europe record a comeback win by a score of 14.5–13.5, in what became known as the "Miracle at Medinah". To finish off his season, he won the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in November, making birdie on the last five holes to beat Justin Rose by two strokes.
  
  In January, McIlroy finished solo-second at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, one stroke behind winner Robert Rock. At the 2012 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in February, he recorded another runner-up finish, losing to Hunter Mahan, 2 and 1, in the final. The following week, McIlroy won the Honda Classic, where he shot a final round of 69 to finish two strokes ahead of Tiger Woods and Tom Gillis. With this victory, McIlroy reached the number one position in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career. Aged 22, he became the second-youngest man to reach number one, behind Woods who achieved the feat at 21.
  
  At the 2012 Masters Tournament in April, McIlroy was in third place after two rounds, one stroke behind the leaders, but struggled on the weekend with rounds of 77 and 76 and finished in a tie for 40th. In May, he was in contention at the Wells Fargo Championship and went to a playoff with Rickie Fowler and D. A. Points. Fowler won the tournament on the first playoff hole with a birdie.
  
  In August, McIlroy won the 2012 PGA Championship at the Kiawah Island Ocean Course. He birdied the final hole to shoot 66 and win by eight strokes, a new record for the largest margin-of-victory at the PGA Championship. The prior record had stood since Jack Nicklaus won the 1980 PGA Championship by seven strokes. At age 23, McIlroy became the youngest multiple major champion since Seve Ballesteros won the 1980 Masters Tournament.
  
  At the Deutsche Bank Championship in September, McIlroy overcame a three-shot deficit headed into the final round to defeat Louis Oosthuizen by one stroke. The following week. McIlroy won the BMW Championship, two strokes ahead of Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood. He totalled 40-under par across the two tournament victories. With these wins, he became the first European to win four PGA Tour events in a single season and the only person other than Tiger Woods to win four events in a season since 2005.
  
  McIlroy topped the qualification standings for the 2012 Ryder Cup, which was held at Medinah Country Club at the end of September. He picked up three points for the European team. On the final day, a mix up with his tee time meant that he arrived only 12 minutes before he was due to tee off in his Sunday singles match against Keegan Bradley, after being escorted in by a police officer. He defeated Bradley, 2 and 1, to help Europe record a comeback win by a score of 14.5–13.5, in what became known as the "Miracle at Medinah". To finish off his season, he won the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in November, making birdie on the last five holes to beat Justin Rose by two strokes.