A SENSATIONAL FINAL round saw Rory McIlroy secure an unprecedented third FedEx Cup title and $18 million first prize in the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
Scottie Scheffler began the day with a six-stroke advantage but started with a three-putt bogey and continued to struggle on the green. With remarkable composure, McIlroy hunted him down and drew level heading for the back nine before taking the lead on the 16th.
There he hit a pitched effort to the green and hit the pin. Then he nailed a par putt. Scheffler pulled his par putt left to bogey. They followed it up with a par. Roared on by a vocal following, McIlroy was left with a straightforward challenge on the 18th following a Scheffler par.
McIlroy has now earned 43million US dollars for his three FedEx Cup victories. Tiger Woods (2007, 2009) is the only other player to have won it more than once.
WOW!
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 28, 2022
HUGE putt from @McIlroyRory to regain a share of the lead @PlayoffFinale. pic.twitter.com/PgnAcqpRtR
Playing together in the final group, McIlroy and Scheffler both bogeyed the first and while Scheffler also dropped shots on the fourth and sixth, McIlroy birdied the third and made three more in succession from the fifth for a share of the lead.
Scheffler responded immediately with a birdie on the eighth and although McIlroy got back on level terms at the 12th, the Northern Irishman bogeyed the 14th after missing the green with his approach.
McIlroy was not about to throw in the towel though and holed from 30 feet for birdie on the 15th and saved par on the next after flying his second shot over the green from a fairway bunker.
The former world number one’s chip was travelling at speed when it clattered into the pin and, after Scheffler made bogey from a greenside bunker, McIlroy holed from seven feet to take the lead for the first time.
A poor bunker shot on the par-five 18th cost Scheffler the chance to force a play-off and the Masters champion had to scramble for par to share second place with Im, who matched McIlroy’s closing 66.
- Additional reporting by PA
