Patrick Cantlay's unprecedented repeat victory
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Patrick Cantlay (-14) squeaked out a one-shot victory over Scott Stallings at the BMW Championship Sunday in Wilmington, Delaware, putting him one step closer to the ultimate goal of repeating as PGA tour champion.
Why it matters: Cantlay, 30, won last year's BMW Championship, too. He's the first golfer to successfully defend any FedEx Cup title since the playoff debuted in 2007.
- If he also defends his Tour Championship victory, he'll (again) win the PGA's most lucrative prize: $18 million.
Recap: Cantlay entered Sunday with a one-stroke lead. After briefly stumbling with bogeys on holes 8 and 10, he finished strong with three birdies on the back nine, including his luckiest shot of the weekend:
- Tied for the lead on the par-four 17th, his drive bounced inches before a bunker, hopped clear over the sand and found the fairway. He'd go up and down from there for the decisive birdie.
What's next: The top 30 golfers in the FedEx Cup standings qualified for the Tour Championship, which begins Thursday at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
- Cantlay enters as the No. 2 seed behind Scottie Scheffler. The rest of the top 10: Will Zalatoris, Xander Schauffele, Sam Burns, Cameron Smith, Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, Sepp Straka and Sungjae Im.
- Stallings (No. 12) was one of four golfers to jump into the top 30 with their performance in Wilmington, joined by K.H. Lee (No. 26), Adam Scott (No. 29) and Aaron Wise (No. 30).
Of note: Seeding matters because it dictates your starting score. No. 1 begins at -10, No. 2 at -8, continuing with scores descending through the final five qualifiers, who all begin at even par.
