LOS ANGELES, Aug 26, 2019 (AFP) – Rory McIlroy fired a four-under-par 66
to win the PGA Tour Championship and claim the $15 million FedEx Cup jackpot
on Sunday.
Northern Ireland star McIlroy won the two titles for the second time
following his win in 2016 after world number one Brooks Koepka suffered a
final round collapse at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Course.
McIlroy finished the tournament on 18 under, four shots clear of Xander
Schauffele, who posted a closing 70 to finish on 14 under.
McIlroy joins Tiger Woods as the only player to win the FedEx Cup playoff
series twice.
McIlroy, playing alongside Koepka in the final pairing, had started the
final round one shot behind his partner.
Koepka had taken the lead earlier Sunday after the players returned to the
course to complete the third round, which had been abandoned on Saturday
after an electrical storm which injured six spectators.
Koepka finished the third round with a closing birdie for a two-under-par
68 to edge one shot clear of McIlroy and Xander Schauffele at 15 under.
But Koepka’s third round momentum didn’t extend to the final round.
After matching McIlroy with an early birdie on the sixth, the American’s
form deserted him with a double-bogey on the seventh while McIlroy snared his
second birdie.
Although Koepka picked up a shot with a birdie on the eighth, a trio of
bogeys on the 12th, 13th and 14th holes effectively ended his challenge.
McIlroy, who had birdied the 12th and 13th holes to move to four under for
the day, gave the chasing pack hope after wobbling with bogeys on the 14th
and 15th holes.
However McIlroy gathered himself brilliantly on the 17th, rolling in a 15ft
birdie putt before going on to reach the greenside bunker in two on the par-
five 18th.
He made no mistake with his birdie putt to finish with a flourish.
Koepka meanwhile had to settle for a share of third place, his two-over-par
72 leaving alongside Justin Thomas on 13 under.
England’s Paul Casey was fifth on nine under after his final round 72,
while Australia’s Adam Scott took sixth place on eight under after his four-
under-par 66.
This year’s PGA Tour Championship was played under a revamped “staggered
start” format in which players had been spotted strokes based on their
position in the playoff standings.
Thomas had started the tournament with a score of 10 under, two ahead of
Patrick Cantlay on eight under and three clear of Koepka, who began on seven
under.
McIlroy meanwhile started five shots off the lead on five under.