World No.1 Scottie Scheffler imploded in the final round of the Tour Championship amid a stunning charge from Rory McIlroy, who clinched the $A26.1 million top prize on Monday.
Scheffler had led the FedEx Cup finale in Atlanta for 70 holes, but a nervy final round saw him swallowed up by McIlroy with just two holes to go.
McIlroy, who started the final round six shots behind Scheffler in second, drained a stunning 32-foot birdie putt at the 15th to draw level, before his rival bogeyed the 16th to fall out of the lead altogether.
There was no recovery for Scheffler, who didn’t come close with a 12-foot birdie putt at the 17th — his nerves with the flatstick painfully evident.
McIlroy opened his round with a bogey but then peeled off four birdies on the front nine, and two more on the back nine.
Watch LIVE coverage from The USPGA Tour with Fox Sports on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Scheffler, meanwhile, made three bogies on the front nine and another at the 16th, while he only made one birdie in his entire final round.
The difference in prize money between first and second at the Tour Championship is $A16.7 million. However, given Scheffler ultimately shared second place with Sungjae Im, his meltdown was worth $A17.8 million.
McIlroy is now the first ever three-time winner of the FedEx Cup having won in 2016 and 2019.
“There’s one thing I want to say, I feel like Scottie deserves at least half of this today,” McIlroy said on the 18th green. “He’s had an unbelievable season. I feel sort of bad that I pipped him to the post, but he’s a hell of a competitor, he’s an even better guy.
“It was an honor and a privilege to battle with him today and I’m sure we’ll have many more.
“I told him we are one-all in Georgia this year. He got the Masters and I got this.”
Speaking of starting the day six shots back, he said: “I thought it was going to be really tough to make up.
“But my good play and Scottie’s not-so-great play, it was a ball game going into the back nine.”
Meanwhile, neither Cameron Smith nor Adam Scott got their challenges going at East Lake. Smith finished in 20th and Scott in 25th.
It means Smith — in potentially his last event before becoming a LIV Golf member — walks away with $929,520, and Scott $798,810.
FINAL STANDINGS AND PRIZE MONEY (AUD)
1: Rory McIlroy, -21, $26,180,000
T-2: Scottie Scheffler, -20, $8,362,541
T-2: Scottie Scheffler, -20, $8,362,541
4: Xander Schauffele, -18, $5,820,000
T-5: Max Homa, -17, $4,999,476
T-5: Justin Thomas, -17, $4,999,476
T-7: Sepp Straka, -16, $2,545,121
T-7: Patrick Cantlay, -16, $2,545,121
9: Tony Finau, -15, $1,817,944
10: Tom Hoge, -14, $1,450,000
T-11: Joaquin Niemann, -13, $1,345,280
T-11: Hideki Matsuyama, -13, $1,345,280
T-13: Jordan Spieth, -12, $1,199,840
T-13: Aaron Wise, -12, $1,199,840
T-15: Viktor Hovland, -11, $1,032,590
T-15: Matt Fitzpatrick, -11, $1,032,590
T-15: JT Poston, -11, $1,032,590
T-15: Jon Rahm, -11, $1,032,590
19: Cameron Young, -10, $959,870
20: Cameron Smith, -9, $930,790
T-21: Brian Harman, -8, $872,610
T-21: Billy Horschel, -8, $872,610
T-21: Collin Morikawa, -8, $872,610
24: Sam Burns, -7, $821,710
25: Adam Scott, -4, $799,900
26: Corey Conners, -3, $785,350
27: KH Lee, -1, $770,810
28: Sahith Theegala, +1, $756,260
29: Scott Stallings, +3, $741,720
30: Will Zalatoris, $727,180
Click here if you cannot see the blog above!
.