Rory McIlroy Becomes First Three-Time FedEx Cup Champion

The Northern Irishman overturned a six-shot deficit to defeat world number one Scottie Scheffler
08:57, 29 Aug 2022

Rory McIlroy became the first player to win three FedEx Cups in the PGA Championship on Sunday.

The Northern Irishman did well to overturn a six-shot lead by world number one Scottie Scheffler to finish one shot clear of the American and Sungjae Im. 

McIlroy scored a four-under-par 66 in the final round to finish on 21 under. The four-time major winner receives £15.36 million in prize money after his fifth victory of the season.

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"What a week, what a day," McIlroy told Sky Sports.

"I feel like Scottie deserves at least half of this. He's a hell of a competitor. It was an honour to battle with him."

Scheffler started the week with a six-shot advantage over McIlroy as players began the season-ending event on different scores determined by their place in the FedEx Cup standings.

After play was suspended on Saturday's third round because of lightning, the American Scheffler led by just one when play resumed on Sunday morning but extended his lead to six before the final round.

When the final round began later on Sunday, both Scheffler and McIlroy bogeyed the first hole but the former dropped shots on the fourth and sixth, while McIlroy birdied the third and made three more in succession from the fifth.

A disappointing bunker shot from Scheffler on the 18th meant the Masters champion was forced to clamber for a par to tie for second with South Korea's Im, who equalled McIlroy's final-round 66.

"I didn't really give myself much of a chance teeing off today, I thought six behind was going to be really tough to make up but my good play and Scottie's not-so-great play meant it was a ball game going into the back nine," McIlroy added.

The 33-year-old has been one of the PGA Tour's most vocal advocates during golf's ongoing power struggle. He was one of the leading voices when players met earlier this month to discuss the ongoing threat of LIV Golf.

After his historic victory, he said: "I believe in the game of golf, I believe in this Tour in particular, I believe in the players on this Tour.

"It's the greatest place in the world to play golf, bar none, and I've played all over the world.

"This is an incredibly proud moment for me, but it should also be an incredibly proud moment for the PGA Tour. They have had some hard times this year but we are getting through it and that was a spectacle out there today.

"Two of the best players in the world going head-to-head for the biggest prize on the PGA Tour and I hope everyone at home enjoyed that."

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