Photo: Ben Jared/PGA Tour via Getty Images
Rory McIlroy (-21) erased a six-stroke deficit against Scottie Scheffler (-20) on Sunday to win the Tour Championship, pocketing a record $18 million prize.
Why it matters: That was the largest final-round comeback in Tour Championship history, helping McIlroy become the first-ever three-time winner of the FedEx Cup.
Recap: Entering Sunday, Scheffler looking primed to complete one of the best seasons in recent memory.
- But his conservative play led to three quick bogeys while McIlroy — paired with Scheffler in the final grouping — birdied four of the first seven holes to catch Scheffler atop the leaderboard.
- McIlroy's putting was excellent all day, and never more clutch than his 31-foot birdie on No. 15 to regain a share of the lead.
- One more bogey from Scheffler on No. 16 was all McIlroy needed, as he parred the final three holes to complete the comeback victory.
The big picture: McIlroy spent all season defending the PGA Tour against LIV Golf while fighting for changes that include larger purses and better competition.
- Less than a week after those changes were announced, he won the Tour's biggest prize over the world's No. 1 golfer. Sometimes, truth really is stranger than fiction.
What he's saying: McIlroy didn't equivocate when asked how satisfying it was to win this year's FedEx Cup:
"It means an awful lot. I believe in the game of golf. I believe in this Tour in particular [and its] players. It's the greatest place in the world to play golf, bar none."