The 2022 FedExCup Playoffs concluded at East Lake in Atlanta with a come-from-behind victory by Rory McIlroy, though the entire event was overshadowed by rumours of several of the PGA Tour’s best defecting to LIV Golf. Regardless, several of the top golfers on the planet—namely World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, defending FedExCup champ Patrick Cantlay, and Sungjae Im battled to the end, but it was RBC Canadian Open winner McIlroy who made three straight pars on the final holes to win by one.
McIlroy’s win
At the start of the day, McIlroy, the winner of the FedExCup in 2016 and 2019, found himself six shots behind Scheffler, who entered the tournament with a two-shot advantage as the No. 1 seeded player. With the win, McIlroy jumps ahead of Tiger Woods for the most FedExCup victories.
“To be the first to do anything in the game that you love so much, it’s an incredibly proud moment,” McIlroy said after his win. “I got a little lucky with Scottie not playing his best golf today, and I took advantage of that with my good play. I went up against the best player in the world today and I took him down, and that’s got to mean something.”
McIlroy also referenced the upstart LIV Golf tour, which has poached players from the PGA Tour. McIlroy has been one of the most vocal in support of the PGA Tour.
“I believe in the game of golf—I believe in this tour, in particular,” he said. “I believe in the players on this tour. It’s the greatest place in the world to play golf, bar none, and I’ve played all over.”
Rory McIlroy’s WITB
Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus
3-wood: TaylorMade SIM Titanium
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus
Irons: TaylorMade Rors Proto (3-9)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG3 Raw (46-09, 54-13, 60-07)
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Hydro Blast
Ball: 2021 TaylorMade TP5x
Scheffler’s struggles
Scheffler was in a strong position heading into Sunday at 23-under. He felt his success this year, in which he came the top player in golf, put him in a good position for the final round, even if he hadn’t led the FedExCup previously. “I haven’t been in that position before, but it’ll be a little new,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it’s still a golf tournament and I’ve been in some intense situations this year.” But with three bogeys on the front nine, and an unfortunate miscue on the 16th, left him with a 3-over 73 on the day, and 20-under for the tournament, one shot behind McIlroy. Im also contended until the middle of the back nine when he struggled around the green on the long par 4 14th and made double-bogey. Even birdies on 15 and 17 couldn’t pull him even with McIlroy.
Departing players
It was rumoured that British Open winner Cameron Smith and Chilean golfers Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira, as well as several others, would announce their departure to LIV Golf immediately after the Tour Championship was completed. Smith finished T20 in the Tour Championship, while Niemann ended his year in a tie for 11th.
Canadian watch
The only Canadian to make the Tour Championship was Listowel, Ont.’s Corey Conners, but the tournament didn’t exactly go as planned. Conners, one of the best ballstrikers on tour, struggled with his putting all week (including an opening round of -4.35 strokes gained), and could never fully recover from his battles on the greens. Still, he finished with a round of 67 to move into 26th-place. By just getting to the Tour Championship, Conners guarantees himself a spot in all four majors next year, as well as The Players, The Memorial, and other top tournaments.
