Top 10 in 2012: Rory moments
1 / 10
10. McIlroy hits kid at British Open
McIlroy hit 16-year-old Jason Blue on the head in Thursday's round and the ball ricocheted out of bounds. McIlroy put Blue up in a hotel for the week. (Getty)
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2 / 10
9. Rallies to beat Westwood at WGC-Match Play
McIlroy and Westwood both had a chance to overtake then-No. 1 Luke Donald with a win at the Match Play. McIlroy rallied past Westwood, but ultimately lost to Hunter Mahan in the championship match. (Getty)
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3 / 10
8. Rory's 'slump' includes MC at U.S. Open
Beginning in May, McIlroy missed three cuts on the PGA Tour including The Players and the U.S. Open. Many speculated he was spending too much time with girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki. (Getty)
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4 / 10
7. Wozzilroy
Rory McIlroy and girlfriend, former tennis No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, spent lots of time together, with her traveling to his events and his to her's. They even made up the cute nickname. (Getty)
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5 / 10
6. Rory wins Deutsche Bank
McIlroy held off Louis Oosthuizen and Tiger Woods on Sunday for his third win of the season. His Boston win tied Woods for most wins that season (three) which he went on to break. (Getty)
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6 / 10
5. Ends Acushnet relationship, rumored switch to Nike
Acushnet and McIlroy both announced they would be splitting after 2012, but McIlroy has yet to publicly confirm his move to Nike. Rumors suggest McIlroy will sign a 10-year deal with Nike worth upwards of $250 million. (Getty)
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7 / 10
4. Rory wins BMW Championship, two in a row
McIlroy won the third stop on the FedEx Cup playoff schedule for his second consecutive victory and his third win in four starts. (Getty)
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8 / 10
3. McIlroy almost misses Ryder Cup singles tee time
McIlroy was escorted to Medinah by a policeman after confusing which time zone he was in. He arrived 10 minutes before his singles match against Keegan Bradley, which he won, 2 and 1. (Getty)
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9 / 10
2. McIlroy wins Honda, becomes world No. 1
McIlroy shot a final-round 69 and held off a Sunday charge by Tiger Woods to win his third PGA Tour title. He also became No. 1 in the world - the second youngest to ever become No. 1. (Getty)
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10 / 10
1. McIlroy dominates at the PGA, wins by eight
McIlroy secured his second major championship victory just the same as he did the first - by a record-setting eight shots. (Getty Images)
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