Open champion McIlroy not one to rest on his laurels

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland lines up his putt on the 14th green during the final round of the British Open Championship at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, northern England July 20, 2014. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

(Reuters) - Rory McIlroy embellished his status as one of the game's best players with his wire-to-wire win at the British Open nine days ago, but has put that behind him as he strives to achieve further goals before the end of this year.

The Northern Irishman has made a habit of stringing together red-hot runs of form during his burgeoning career and has set his sights on clinching a maiden World Golf Championships crown at this week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.