It’s been quite a journey this year for professional golfer Rory McIlroy, whose victory yesterday (Aug. 28) at the 2022 PGA Tour Championship broke a new record and saw him pocket millions in rewards and bonuses that accompanied the highly coveted gold trophy. In the process, he usurped the No. 1 ranked golf player in the world, Scottie Schefler.
McIlroy’s win wasn’t immediately apparent as the championship kicked off on Thursday. He was six shots behind before the Tour Championship began, ten shots back after two holes, but made a stunning comeback from a six-shot deficit in the final round against Scottie Schefler on Sunday. Though Schefler initially had a 54-hole lead over his rivals, McIlroy ended up birdieing three of his six remaining holes and eventually closing with a 4-under 66–thus becoming the first three-time winner of the FedEx Cup.
“I’ve been in the final group here three of the last five years,” said McIlroy. “I didn’t give myself much of a chance teeing off today. Six behind, I thought it was going to be really tough to make up. But [between] my good play and Scottie’s not-so-great play, it was a ballgame going into the back nine.”
McIlroy’s victory means more than just the money for him, though. A loud and proud proponent of PGA, he has seen many of his colleagues make the leap over to Saudi-funded LIV Golf, which has promised higher-paying contracts for the world’s top golfers.
“I said it in the prize ceremony; this is the best place in the world to play golf. It’s the most competitive. It’s got the best players. It’s got the deepest fields. I don’t know why you’d want to play anywhere else”, McIlroy said in a statement.
The golfer also displayed great sportsmanship in his defeat over Scottie Schefler, even going as far as to apologize to Schefler’s family in the tour’s aftermath. After being introduced as champion, he said, “I feel like Scottie deserves at least half of this today. He’s had an unbelievable season. I feel sort of bad … but he’s a helluva competitor. He’s an even better guy. It was an honor and a privilege to battle him today.”
