ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 28: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates on the 18th green after winning during the final round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on August 28, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
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Rory McIlroy started the TOUR Championship six shots off the lead but stormed back at East Lake for a historic win and golf Twitter showed their love.
As the remaining 30 golfers in the FedEx Cup Playoffs descended upon Atlanta and East Lake Golf Club for the TOUR Championship this week, the brief history of the new format to determine the new champion of the PGA Tour season told us one thing: someone in a great position to start the tournament was going to win.
Rory McIlroy bucked that trend (again).
After starting the tournament at 4-under and, even more incredibly, opening the tournament on Thursday with a triple-bogey and then a bogey on his first two holes, he chased down Scottie Scheffler, who started at 10-under, by shooting 21-under over his final 70 holes and even making up a six-stroke deficit in the final round by shooting 66 to Scheffler’s 73.
With a tap-in par on the 18th hole on Sunday, McIlroy became the first three-time FedEx Cup champion.
Rory McIlroy wins TOUR Championship: Golf Twitter reactions
After the come-from-behind victory, it was a celebration of Rory McIlroy on golf Twitter.
Rory McIlroy, Super Bowl champion.
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) August 28, 2022
Rory wins the Tour Championship 🏆
Wouldn’t call it vindication for the Open loss, but it helps. Nice to pick up 6th outright of the season & end on a high note. Another great year (+14.21U) in the books.
Now off to the homeland for a much needed break!🇮🇪 https://t.co/aCJmhScfBc
— Andy Lack (@adplacksports) August 28, 2022
Rory McIlroy with a final kiss for this wild PGA Tour season:
“[The PGA Tour is] the greatest place in the world to play golf, bar none. And I’ve played all over the world.” pic.twitter.com/pF4RuE0Or6
— Sean Zak (@Sean_Zak) August 28, 2022
SO RORY SHOULD’VE WON THE OPEN, BUT HE WON THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP WHICH WAS FITTING BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN SUCH A BIG SUPPORTER OF THE TOUR. pic.twitter.com/IIsmkHA3zF
— Hally Leadbetter (@hallylead) August 28, 2022
Rory’s PGA Tour season …
• Won CJ Cup
• Won Canadian Open
• Savaged Greg Norman
• Won Tour Championship
• 10 top 10s in 16 starts
• Top eight at all four majors
• $27 million earned
• Saved golf
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) August 28, 2022
In the three years with starting strokes being added to the format at East Lake, the only person to with the FedEx Cup who didn’t start in the lead was Rory himself back in 2019. But even then, he came back from 5-under, meaning this time around was one better — and even more so when you consider how much lower he needed to go to win.
So much has been put on the shoulders of McIlroy this season. He’s been the general leading the PGA Tour in the plight against the break-off LIV Golf tour. He came up short but was so close in all four majors. He was a factor every time he took the course.
As such, seeing him crowned in this moment an in this fashion felt well deserved and like the perfect way to cap off the PGA Tour season.
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