FedEx Cup: Rory McIlroy joins Tiger Woods as two-time winner of season-ending championship
- Northern Irishman claims US$15 million first prize
- McIlroy closes with a 4-under 66 to finish four shots ahead of Xander Schauffele
The crowd rushing to circle the 18th green. The steady chants. It all sounded so familiar to Rory McIlroy at East Lake, with one big difference.
On Sunday, it was all for him.
One year after he was an overlooked bystander as Tiger Woods celebrated the missing piece of his comeback by winning the Tour Championship, McIlroy surged past Brooks Koepka and delivered a clutch par putt when he needed it to win the FedEx Cup and the US$15 million prize, the biggest payout in golf history.
With two final birdies, McIlroy closed with a 4-under 66 to end a marathon day at the storm-delayed Tour Championship and finished four shots ahead of Xander Schauffele. He joined Woods as the only players to win the FedEx Cup twice since it began in 2007.
He smiled at hearing the chants, “Rory! Rory! Rory!” from a gallery that came under the ropes on the 18th hole to watch the finish.
It’s amazing how different things can be in a year
“I must say, I didn’t enjoy that walk last year like everyone else did,” McIlroy said. “I never took the fight to Tiger.”
McIlroy had more than the US$15 million prize on his mind.
He wanted to win this outright and was keeping score to the very end. The format was changed this year to give top players a head start based on par depending on their standing in the FedEx Cup. Justin Thomas was the No 1 seed and started at 10-under par before a shot was hit. McIlroy was the No 5 seed and started at 5-under.
He finished at 18-under in the FedEx Cup finale. His actual score was 13-under 267, better than anyone else in the 30-man field.
Elsewhere, top-ranked Jin Young Ko closed with an 8-under 64 on Sunday to win the CP Women’s Open by five shots over Nicole Broch Larsen.
The South Korean pulled away with six birdies on the back nine to finish the tournament at 26-under 262. Defending champion Brooke Henderson of Canada (69) finished seven shots off the lead in a tie for third place with American Lizette Salas (64).
Ko and Broch Larsen, who is from Denmark, entered the final round tied for the lead.
The round was broken up into trios, with groups teeing off at the first and 10th tees to ensure it didn’t run up against the PGA’s Tour Championship finale.
Ko cemented the victory with birdies on four of her last five holes. She earned US$337,500 of the US$2.25 million purse with the win.
Hong Kong’s Tiffany Chan carded a two-under-par 70 in the final round on her way to a 7-under total and a share of 42nd place. The result continued her steady climb in the world rankings where she now occupies 245.
Meanwhile, Erik van Rooyen birdied the final hole for a 6-under 64 to win the Scandinavian Invitation on Sunday for his first European Tour victory.
The South African finished on 19-under 261 at Hills Golf & Sports Club to finish one shot ahead of England’s Matt Fitzpatrick (64).
“I was so nervous on 18,” Van Rooyen said. “I’ve been putting so well all day and to hole that one to win, it’s my first one, it’s pretty cool.”
Home favourite Henrik Stenson, who held a share of the lead after making a hole-in-one on the sixth, finished in a tie for third with Dean Burmester of South Africa after both shot 66.
Van Rooyen looked to be in control after six birdies in his first 13 holes, but bogeyed the 17th after Fitzpatrick birdied the same hole for a two-shot swing. Fitzpatrick also birdied the last to draw level on 18-under, but Van Rooyen held his nerve to birdie the last for the fourth day running, holing from 12 feet for the win.
