Rory McIlroy won his second major with a brilliant eight-shot victory in the US PGA Championship.

The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland finished on 13 under, with Englishman David Lynn stunning the field by taking second - his previous best at a major was tied 53rd at the 2003 Open.

Four-time winner Tiger Woods failed to make the most of the birdie chances he created, ending on two under.

England's Justin Rose and Ian Poulter were in a four-way tie for third.

Analysis

"Amazing, a headshakingly amazing performance by Rory McIlroy.

He did everything that was asked off him, he was up there from the first round and then was absolutely dominant at the weekend. He blew the field away.

This takes him back to world number one, and convincingly so."

Last year's winner Keegan Bradley and Swede Carl Pettersson also finished joint third on four under for the championship.

"I don't think I have let it sink in yet," said McIlroy.

"It was a great round of golf - I am speechless. The game-plan was just to play solid. I got off to a bit of a shaky start, but settled into it and I thought my putting today was phenomenal.

"Thanks dad and thanks mum - I'm sure she's watching at home. I had a good feeling at the start, but I never imagined doing this.

"It means an awful lot to look at the names on that trophy and put mine alongside them."

Lynn's second-placed finish moves him to 16th on the European money list, with an outside chance of making Europe's Ryder Cup team.

"I got myself into the zone yesterday and I was feeling comfortable today - it is all a bit surreal at the moment," said the 38-year-old Stoke-based player.

He will undoubtedly get a sidebar in Monday's newspapers, alongside headline act McIlroy.

Aside from a second-round blip 75, when he and many of his peers were bullied by Kiawah Island at its wildest, the new champion mastered the Ocean Course.

His final day began earlier than scheduled as a result of Saturday's rain which brought a halt to several third rounds.

Having sunk five birdies on the front nine the previous day, the man from Holywood added two more on the 15th and 16th to start the final round on seven under, a three-shot lead over second-placed Pettersson.

Swede Pettersson's hopes of a maiden major suffered a huge blow on the first hole when he was handed a two-shot penalty 'for moving a loose impediment in a hazard', when a leaf moved.

Despite the setback, Pettersson holed four birdies en route to five under for the tournament - his best major finish.

McIlroy suffered no such ill fortune. He was the only one of the top six not to drop a shot during his final round.

When he did find himself in a little bit of trouble - under the trees on the second, and in some rough on the 10th - he produced two standard recovery shots. But as blips go, they were very minor.

His biggest challenge came from England's Ian Poulter.

The Hertfordshire golfer, who was outside the automatic Ryder Cup places going into the tournament, remarkably holed six birdies in the first seven holes to close the gap to McIlroy to two.

However, Poulter countered that with three bogeys in succession from the 13th which effectively ended his major bid for another year.

World number two Woods was deemed the more likely of challengers.

He began the day five shots off the lead, but conditions were good for some Tiger magic.

However, the 36-year-old's round never got going - setting the tone with a relatively easy missed birdie chance on the first and an eagle opportunity on the second.

The former world number one, who opened with a 69, completed his tournament with a 72.

Minutes later, the 2011 US Open winner, who had not recorded a finish higher than 40th in a major this year, took centre stage on the 18th and sunk his sixth birdie to seal a deserved victory.

It was also the last tournament for the United States players to force their way into automatic selection for the Ryder Cup - and Bo Van Pelt's failure to finish second - he finished tied for 18th - ensured Phil Mickelson held on to the eighth and last automatic place. 

He will join Woods, Jason Dufner, Bubba Watson, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar in the US team. with captain Davis Love III to name his four captain's picks on 4 September.