Golf News Magazine | Pro Tour News | Interviews & Golf Travel https://golfnews.co.uk/ The UKs no 1 most read Golf Magazine Mon, 25 Aug 2025 07:33:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://golfnews.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/cropped-GN0125_01_Cover_masthead_stack_noline-32x32.jpg Golf News Magazine | Pro Tour News | Interviews & Golf Travel https://golfnews.co.uk/ 32 32 216808453 TOMMY FLEETWOOD INTERVIEW: FEDEX CUP CHAMPION https://golfnews.co.uk/features/tommy-fleetwood-interview-fedex-cup-champion/ Mon, 25 Aug 2025 07:33:31 +0000 https://golfnews.co.uk/?p=30763 We’d like to welcome our 2025 FedExCup champion Tommy Fleetwood to the interview room here at the TOUR Championship. How are you feeling right now? I think a mix of emotions from — yeah, proud, relieved, happy. There’s a ton of emotions that I’ll probably be feeling. It doesn’t sink in for a while. Winning doesn’t sink in for a while. But what an amazing day. Q. You had a lot of time on that back nine to walk between the […]

The post TOMMY FLEETWOOD INTERVIEW: FEDEX CUP CHAMPION appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
We’d like to welcome our 2025 FedExCup champion Tommy Fleetwood to the interview room here at the TOUR Championship. How are you feeling right now?

I think a mix of emotions from — yeah, proud, relieved, happy. There’s a ton of emotions that I’ll probably be feeling. It doesn’t sink in for a while. Winning doesn’t sink in for a while. But what an amazing day.

Q. You had a lot of time on that back nine to walk between the holes and walk between the shots. Walk us through what you’re thinking in your mind as you’re walking there, particularly walking up to 15.

I felt like I’d lost my swing really. I got a bit erratic from the 5th. I felt like I started the round off really well, really solid, did all the right things.

Then I hit two really poor mini-drivers, 5 and 8, but I felt like I’d lost my swing a little bit, lost my timing, lost my transition, hit a big hook off the 10th, and all my focus kind of went into my rehearsals, changed my rehearsals a little bit, changed my tempo, tried to find my transition a bit. All my focus kind of went into that.

You’re always kind of aware, no matter how present you try and stay, you’re always kind of aware of the ebbs and flows of how it’s going.

The one thing I’ve done so well in the last few weeks when I’ve had the near misses is I’ve done really well in a tournament up until the closing few holes and then you have to walk to the 15th tee and stand up on that.

I said before, I really dislike the 15th shot. The angle of it doesn’t fit my eye very well. It’s a very, very tough shot. I was really pleased with the swing that I put on that.

I was just really focused on sort of where my swing was at and trying to feel like I was doing the right things, as well as managing everything else, whether it be your expectations, whether it be the doubt that’s creeping in after the last few times that it’s not gone my way, and also dealing with the sort of reality of it felt like it was — the door was getting further and further open for me as the round went on, and sort of trying to stay level-headed about it.

Q. You’ve talked about learning throughout the entire process. What did you learn about yourself through all the near misses, especially the last few weeks keep coming back?

I think it’s easy for anybody to say that they are resilient, that they bounce back, that they have fight. It’s different when you actually have to prove it.

There’s different types of mental strength. I’ve clearly got things wrong in the dire moments of tournaments, and I might have made the odd dodgy decision, might have put a bad swing on it.

But I’ve had to have mental strength in a different way. I’ve had to be resilient in terms of putting myself back up there, getting myself back in that position, no matter how many times it doesn’t go my way, no matter how many doubts might creep in.

Think the right things, say the right things to yourself, say the right things outwardly, and I am really pleased that I can be proof that if you do all the right things and you just keep going that it can happen.

Q. Now that it doesn’t matter, was there a time during the near misses where you thought, this might never happen? Did those moments exist?

Not really. The smallest thoughts creep in. But I — no, I never really felt like it wouldn’t happen. But there’s always doubt there.

But I always sort of had belief in myself that you keep knocking on the door, you keep putting yourself up there, you keep playing well, keep learning from all the near misses and keep putting that into action in the next tournament or the next tournament or the next time you get a chance, see what is going to happen.

The people that win the most — I always feel like if you look at what the best players do and try and copy it — whether you’re as good as them or not is a different story, but if you watch what they do and you copy them as much as possible, I think that’s a good way to go.

I think that the guys that win the most, they’re in contention so much; they’re up there all the time. That’s where I want to be.

I want to be up there. It’s taken me a while to get this done, like to get this first win. I’ve never looked at it as just trying to win once.

I’ve always had the mindset that I want to win multiple. I want to win plenty. It’s just that the first one seems to have taken a long time. The next one might take a long time; I don’t know.

But I’ve always had the mindset that I just want to be one of the best players in the world, I want to keep putting myself in contention, and yeah, I always felt like it would probably happen.

Q. What do you think the broader lesson is for sports people who are trying so hard to get over a line and can’t do it? You’ll be an inspiration to them.

I think people have different ways of inspiring, and I guess that my — however big or small my inspiring story might be, it was just a story of perseverance and continuing to try and put myself in those positions.

I think the easiest thing to do when it doesn’t go your way is to sulk a little bit or to let it affect you for a little while, then get back to it.

Use excuses if you like, but I said every single time that it didn’t happen for me or where I’d let one go or where someone beat me, I just want to get there again. I just want to give myself another chance.

I felt like I did that, and I felt like people — at the time, like, you just do it, but I think people have appreciated that side of it.

I think people have, I guess, found it very positive that I’ve constantly tried to just get back on the horse, just go again, just go again.

Like I say, again, it’s almost easy to say now I’m really pleased that it’s happened now, but if it didn’t happen today, I would have said the same things.

I would have said, I just want another chance; I’m just going to go back and work and I’m just going to go again. I’ve had the opportunity to prove that, that if you just keep going, it can happen. I guess that’s my story.

Q. You talk about wanting to be the best player in the world or one of the best players. Did you always feel like you had to win in America to start that process or move that along to what you wanted?

Yes and no. I think it was definitely — it’s a step in everybody’s career that they want to make. I think I’m proud — whether I’d won or not, I think I was always proud of the consistency of the level that I’ve played for a long time, and I took a lot of pride in that.

But yeah, I think winning on the PGA TOUR was a step that I really wanted to take. You don’t need anything, but I wanted it. I wanted to do it.

Again, I go back to it, this one win, it sort of — it completes the story of the near misses and it has a crescendo to what has been building towards the back end of the season.

But when I go home, I’m just going to start practicing again. I’m going to start working again, and I’m going to look towards the next tournament.

There is always that side to it. I take immense pride in trying to compete with these guys out here. Very proud of playing on the PGA TOUR. I’m very proud of getting to these events and playing against all these amazing players.

But yeah, I think winning on the PGA TOUR was a step that I wanted to make, and hopefully it doesn’t take me as long to win another one.

Q. What were lessons from Travelers and Memphis that you applied to today, and how so?

I think there was more positives than negatives, and I think I took away that I did so many good things until the dying moments of the tournaments.

At Travelers, I was a couple of decisions out, a couple of half clubs, a bit messy on the last. The 18th hole at the Travelers went as bad as it could have possibly gone for me.

That one I felt like I gave away, even though I also feel like Keegan won it as well. I won’t take anything away from him.

I also think in Memphis, again, you look at the most recent one, I did so many good things. I putted so well. I scrambled when I had to.

I played well on that Sunday and took control of the tournament again with three holes to go, and I didn’t hit the shots that were required to finish the tournament off.

But I took away a lot of the good stuff that I did, and I did actually start today very similar to the other days as well.

I just had to keep gaining experience, keep putting myself there. I think I did an amazing job today of — like I said, I had to reset myself.

It wasn’t easy today; it wasn’t plain sailing. I lost my swing in the middle of the round. I was really erratic, and I had to find my swing, really under —

I don’t think trying to win a tournament is as much pressure as trying to keep your playing rights, things like that.

It’s a different type of pressure. I’m not going to say it’s bigger or less, it’s just a different type of pressure. It’s a joy to be in contention and try and win golf tournaments.

But at the same time, you have to deal with those little demons that are in the back of your mind, and doubt creeps in.

You remember what you got wrong, don’t want to get it wrong again, and you have to force yourself to think of the positives.

I think I really did a good job of really focusing on trying to put a good swing and trying to hit a good shot on especially 15, 16, 17.

The rhythm that I put on those swings, I was really, really pleased with. I leaned back on that really.

I think just as experience builds, at some point you’re going to get it right, and I did today.

Q. Oscar seemed a lot more emotional than you did. What does that tell you, do you think, about how hard people wanted it for you? And why do you think everyone likes you so much?

I don’t know about the last question. Yeah, Oscar is a big emotional little baba, really.

At the Ryder Cup in Italy, he was one of the first people that I saw after walking off the course in the singles, and he was in tears then, and it’s like, he’s just — yeah.

I’m so blessed with the family that I have and the love that surrounds me and the support that I get that it just makes everything that much easier really, whether it goes good or bad.

Whatever would have happened today, I would have walked off the 18th hole, and Oscar would have given me a hug. And we’d have gone home, and everything would have been great, like everything would have been fine.

I would have been gutted, we’d have all been gutted and hurt a little bit, but life would still have been great, and I think that’s something that I would never take for granted.

But I’m so lucky with — you say why do people like me so much? I’ve always been very lucky that I make a great connection with people. I try and be — if I could give my kids one piece of advice — there’s tons of advice, but I always tell them to be a good person first, and I’ve always tried to do that.

My dad always told me that, even when I was a young, aspiring amateur golfer, professional golfer, he always wanted me to be — he always said person first, golfer second.

You’re a good person first. Whatever happens after that, you try to be a good golfer second. I’ve always tried to be that.

Q. Do you think the level of popularity you have is a result of the tough losses that you’ve endured?

I think definitely people have gathered on the train that has been me trying to chase a PGA TOUR win. Like I say, I’ve tried to — a lot of it I do — you say the right things firstly for yourself.

I’m not going to come off, when I’ve had those near misses, and berate myself and make it worse. I want to be a positive impact on myself.

I know that what I want to do is get in contention again, I want to play against the best players in the world and I want to win the biggest tournaments. I’m not going to be able to do that if I have a negative attitude, if I have a poor attitude.

I try to be positive about everything and say the right things inwardly and outwardly, and then I guess people liked what I was saying. They liked the attitude that I had.

Again, I go back to my kids. That’s the things that I want those to be like. Again, it’s easy to say that you’re resilient, but it’s harder when you have to be resilient, and I think I feel lucky that I’ve had to show that side of myself. I feel lucky it actually paid off and that I won.

But yeah, I’ve been — it’s been great, the buzz that has been around me when I’ve been in contention. I

‘ve played unbelievable golf the last few weeks, the last couple months, the last year, very consistent. But to have that buzz and to have the support here, like just to have people chanting your name coming down the last few holes, for people to be carrying you on their shoulders is a very, very special feeling, and I would never take it for granted.

Q. What were the emotions like on the 18th green? You let out quite the yell there. Can you just walk us through what that actually felt like?

I guess the first thing was probably, like, take a breath, be a bit relieved that I finally got it over the line this time and that I can move forward with trying to win multiple rather than just trying to win one.

But it’s great. Down that last hole — I was hitting such good shots on the back nine — but it was always such a big effort. Nothing was flowing for me.

I had to really work hard at it. When you’ve had as many near misses as I’ve had, three-shot lead doesn’t feel like that many even on a par-5 when I’ve striped it down the — you know, I’m in play.

Yeah, so I think I was — and also, for the last two or three holes, you could kind of — you do get a sense of the ebb and flow of the tournament, door was just getting wider and wider.

It definitely looked like it was finally my time but then don’t want to get ahead of yourself. You’ve still got to hit the golf shots.

Just proud to have shown that it’s possible if you just keep going. I’m sure there was plenty of people — as much as there was people supporting me, I’m sure there was plenty of people that were doubting me as well.

I think just to prove that if you have the right attitude and you keep going that good things can happen.

Q. You mentioned you get those doubts that start to creep into your mind, but when they come, have you learned to recognize them, or do you try to erase them? What’s the strategy there?

They’re just feelings. They’re just thoughts. They don’t need to have any impact on how you play or how you execute the next golf shot. But they’re just as real as anything else that’s going on.

You just learn that they’re going to come, that they’re going to happen. Next time I’m in contention, I’ll have doubts again and I’ll deal with it.

I’ll have my positive thoughts. I’ll have my confident thoughts. I’ll have my doubts. It’s just reality. It just is what it is.

The hardest thing was when you’ve had as many — the near misses, that the doubts — there’s going to be more doubts than usual, if you like.

Like I say, always speak to yourself in the right way, always try and do the right things. Feelings are feelings; the golf ball doesn’t know any different. Just try and put a good swing on it.

Q. Curious, now that it’s all said and done, how glad are you that we’re not going to keep asking you about getting the first win here?

Well, it’s a shame that the story is gone.

I enjoyed it while it lasted in a sick way. But I hope that I can give — that we can talk about plenty more things in the future, really.

I will look back at all of this, and again, I feel like I keep repeating myself. I’ll be proud of the strength that I had to show to keep coming back and showing that it can be done if you’re resilient enough and you keep putting yourself in those positions.

I’ll look back at it and I’ll be able to tell people that I am really, really pleased that I get to talk to kids or aspiring golfers or aspiring sports people, whatever they’re trying to do, and I can genuinely talk about showing resilience or keep coming back after tough losses and keep working and all of those things and the skills that you have to use in order to put yourself there again and then finally get it done.

I’m really, really pleased that I get to do that and that I’m proof that it can happen.

I’ll miss talking about it, but I’ll be glad that I can talk to people about what can be done.

Q. People might have chopped and changed caddies after a lot of near misses. What’s it like to have your mate beside you?

I’m sure Finno had doubts about himself. I think it’s only natural, I think, that people look at what they think you need to do to improve and what you should do and how you should go about it.

I’m never — I never get sort of too emotionally involved in what people say. I think a lot of it comes from support as well. I think people probably want the best for you at times.

But for me, I’ve been doing so many good things, and I think, yeah, there’s been plenty of times where it’s not quite happened.

We’ve either got something wrong, somebody has beaten us or whatever it is. But you also have to focus on the ton of positives that were there. There was more good than bad. Just hadn’t quite got over the line.

But I’ve spent the last few weeks now being where every player that tees it up wants to be, so there were so many good things.

Yeah, it’s great — it was great walking down the 18th — I would have kind of liked to have enjoy it more with him, but I was going into this mental cocoon of trying to get through that 18th hole and I was very much head down and zoned in and let’s get the job done.

I would have liked to have enjoyed it a little bit more with him, but we had those moments on the last green. The crowds were amazing. I got to help Finno get to have those pictures forever, and it’s another accomplishment for us two as a team.

The post TOMMY FLEETWOOD INTERVIEW: FEDEX CUP CHAMPION appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
30763
Scheffler completes dream season with $25m FedEx Cup title https://golfnews.co.uk/features/scheffler-completes-dream-season-with-25m-fedex-cup-title-win/ Mon, 02 Sep 2024 06:55:18 +0000 https://golfnews.co.uk/?p=26888 Scottie Scheffler confirmed his status as the world's number one golfer with a dominant victory at the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.

The post Scheffler completes dream season with $25m FedEx Cup title appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
Scottie Scheffler confirmed his status as the world’s number one golfer with a dominant victory at the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.

It caps a remarkable 2024 for the American who has won the Masters, six other PGA Tour events and an Olympic gold medal.

He is the first player since Tiger Woods in 2007 to win seven events in a PGA Tour season and the first player to earn more than $50m in a single season with a prize haul of just over $62.5m.

Scheffler, who started the final round at East Lake with a five-shot lead over nearest challenger Collin Morikawa, shot a four-under 67 to win on 30 under and collect the $25m first prize, which took his season’s earnings haul to a staggering $54m.

He finished four clear of Morikawa, who hit a 66, with another American, Sahith Theegala, in third on 24 under after a 64.

For a third successive year, Scheffler began the Tour Championship on 10 under par as the leader of the FedEx Cup standings, two clear of Xander Schauffele in second, with Morikawa among a group on four under in the staggered start – a format which Scheffler himself called ‘silly’ at the start of the week.

And he stayed ahead through the first three rounds to set up what looked like a straightforward final round.

Uncharacteristic errors

His five-shot lead was six after Morikawa bogeyed the first hole. However, Scheffler made uncharacteristic errors as he recorded successive bogeys on the seventh and eighth holes that allowed Morikawa, who birdied 4, 6 and 8, to close to within two.

A wayward drive left Scheffler hacking out from under a tree down the left of the seventh, while he plain shanked a greenside bunker shot on the eighth that squirted out right and ended up further away from the hole.

In typical Scheffler style, he immediately bounced back making birdies at nine, 10 and 11 to reestablish his four-shot lead. Morikawa responded with a birdie on the 13th, but Scheffler drained a 15-foot eagle putt on the 14th to move five clear, and he parred his way home to secure his first FedEx Cup title.

“It’s been a wild year”

“I feel like I’ve lived almost a full lifetime in this one year, Scheffler said, reflecting on a season that has also seen him become a father for the first time and seen him being arrested – wrongly – on his way to competing in the second round of the PGA Championship. “It’s been nuts. I’m just proud of the work that we put in. It’s hard to put into words what this year has been like for me. It’s been wild at times, and it’s been emotional.”

For the final leaderboard from the Tour Championship, click here.

The post Scheffler completes dream season with $25m FedEx Cup title appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
26888
Scheffler in command at Tour Championship https://golfnews.co.uk/golf-news/scheffler-in-command-at-tour-championship/ Sun, 01 Sep 2024 08:51:10 +0000 https://golfnews.co.uk/?p=26872 World number one Scottie Scheffler will take a five-shot lead into the final round of the PGA Tour's season-ending Tour Championship.

The post Scheffler in command at Tour Championship appeared first on Golf News.

]]>

World number one Scottie Scheffler will take a five-shot lead into the final round of the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship.

After a slow start to his third round, the American finished strongly with birdies on four of the final five holes at East Lake Golf Club to put himself firmly in line for the $25m first prize.

They helped Scheffler to card a 66 for a 26-under-par total and sit five strokes ahead of compatriot Collin Morikawa.

Morikawa had reduced the deficit to two shots on the front nine, but Scheffler recovered with back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth.

“I’ve had my chances here to win some tournaments and I’ll have no better opportunity than Sunday,” said Scheffler, who is bidding for his first FedExCup title, and losing out in the previous two seasons when coming in with a lead.

“I’ve been mentally at my best this year and I’m looking forward to doing more of that tomorrow.”

Morikawa finished strongly, too, with birdies on three of his last four holes to stay in touching distance of Scheffler.

“It’s going to be very hard, but I believe in myself that I can do it,” said Morikawa. “I’ve got 18 holes left to the season – I’m going to put everything I have into these next 24 hours.”

BIG MOVERS

The biggest mover on Saturday was Sahith Theegala, who, despite calling a two-shot penalty on himself on the third hole when he adjudged himself to have moved some sand while addressing a bunker shot, finished with five consecutive birdies to move into third place on 17 under.

Xander Schauffele, Scheffler’s closest rival at the start of the week, is in fourth place on 16 under after being becalmed with a level-par 71 on Saturday.

Shane Lowry put himself in line for a monster cheque when shooting a six-under 65 to move into 8th place, while Rory McIlroy’s third round 68 left him in a tie for 10th on 11 under.

For all the latest scores from the Tour Championship, click here

The post Scheffler in command at Tour Championship appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
26872
High-flying Hovland in command at Tour Championship https://golfnews.co.uk/features/high-flying-hovland-in-command-at-tour-championship/ Sun, 27 Aug 2023 07:55:14 +0000 https://golfnews.co.uk/?p=20879 Viktor Hovland will take a six-shot lead into Sunday’s final round of the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship after a shooting four-under 66 in round three. The Norwegian, who won last week’s BMW Championship to move into second place in the FedEx Cup standings and start this week on eight under, is 20 under. Xander Schauffele shot a 68 to move to 14 under, one clear of fellow Americans Collin Morikawa and Keegan Bradley. Rory McIlroy, who has been battling […]

The post High-flying Hovland in command at Tour Championship appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
Viktor Hovland will take a six-shot lead into Sunday’s final round of the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship after a shooting four-under 66 in round three.

The Norwegian, who won last week’s BMW Championship to move into second place in the FedEx Cup standings and start this week on eight under, is 20 under.

Xander Schauffele shot a 68 to move to 14 under, one clear of fellow Americans Collin Morikawa and Keegan Bradley. Rory McIlroy, who has been battling a back problem all week, is 11 shots off the lead at nine under after signing for a a one-over 71

World number one Scottie Scheffler, who started the tournament two clear of the field on 10 under par as leader of the FedEx standings, had four bogeys on Saturday before holing his solitary birdie on the last as he posted a 73 to drop nine shots off the pace on 11 under at East Lake in Atlanta.

Scheffler is tied with  Jon Rahm, who started the week at six under and had improved to 12 under after round two, but shot a 71 in Saturday’s third round.

A lightning storm suspended play for 75 minutes, but it did not affect Hovland’s progress and the world no.5 came out of the delay with birdies at 12 and 13 to build a seven-shot lead.

Morikawa, who did not drop a shot in his opening 40 holes, double-bogeyed the fifth and more shots went at 10 and 11 as he posted a 73 to drop back to 13 under, while Keegan Bradley had four birdies and four bogeys in his level-par 70 and sits in tied third.

Sunday’s winner from the 30-man field will take home $18m from the $75m prize pot.

For all the scores from East Lake, click here

The post High-flying Hovland in command at Tour Championship appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
20879
Rory takes route 66 to win Tour Championship https://golfnews.co.uk/features/rory-takes-route-66-to-win-tour-championship/ Mon, 29 Aug 2022 07:27:49 +0000 https://golfnews.co.uk/?p=16096 Rory McIlroy came from six shots behind in the final round of the Tour Championship to win the $18m tournament and become the first player to win the FedExCup three times. McIlroy fired a closing 66 at East Lake to finish on 21 under par, a shot ahead of Im Sung-jae and long-time leader and pre-tournament favourite Scottie Scheffler. However Scheffler struggled to a 73 and McIlroy took full advantage to claim a dramatic victory, having started the week six […]

The post Rory takes route 66 to win Tour Championship appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
Rory McIlroy came from six shots behind in the final round of the Tour Championship to win the $18m tournament and become the first player to win the FedExCup three times.

McIlroy fired a closing 66 at East Lake to finish on 21 under par, a shot ahead of Im Sung-jae and long-time leader and pre-tournament favourite Scottie Scheffler.

However Scheffler struggled to a 73 and McIlroy took full advantage to claim a dramatic victory, having started the week six shots behind the world No.1 under the handicap scoring system and making a triple bogey on his first hole on Thursday.

Driven man: Rory McIlroy won a record-breaking third FedExCup title on Sunday

Playing together in the final group, McIlroy and Scheffler both bogeyed the first and while Scheffler also dropped shots on the fourth and sixth, McIlroy birdied the third and made three more in succession from the fifth for a share of the lead. Scheffler responded immediately with a birdie on the eighth and although McIlroy got back on level terms at the 12th, he bogeyed the 14th after missing the green with his approach.

McIlroy was not about to throw in the towel and holed from 30 feet for birdie on the 15th. He then saved par on the next after flying his second shot over the green from a fairway bunker. The former world No 1’s chip was travelling at speed when it hit ithe pin and, after Scheffler made bogey from a greenside bunker, McIlroy holed from seven feet to take the lead for the first time. A poor bunker shot on the par-five 18th cost Scheffler the chance to force a playoff and the Masters champion had to scramble for par to share second place with Im, who matched McIlroy’s closing 66.

“What a week, what a day,” said McIlroy, who has now won a combined $43m for his three FedExCup victories. “Firstly, I want to say I feel like Scottie deserves at least half of this trophy. He has had an unbelievable season. I feel sort of bad that I pipped him to the post. He’s a hell of a competitor, he’s an even better guy, it was an honour and a privilege to battle with him today and I’m sure we’ll have many more. I told him we’re one-all in Georgia this year; he got the Masters, I got this. I didn’t really give myself much of a chance teeing off today, I thought six behind was going to be really tough to make up, but my good play and Scottie’s not-so-great play meant it was a ball game going into the back nine.”

McIlroy, who has been one of the most prominent advocates of the PGA TOUR in the face of competition from LIV Golf, added: “This is an incredibly proud moment for me, but it should also be an incredibly proud moment for the PGA Tour. They have had some hard times this year but we are getting through it and that was a spectacle out there today. Two of the best players in the world going head to head for the biggest prize on the PGA Tour and I hope everyone at home enjoyed that. I believe in the players on this Tour. It’s the greatest place in the world to play golf, bar none.”

Further down the leaderboard, Xander Schauffele, who looked the most likely player to topple Scheffler, shot a final round 69 to finish alone in fourth, with Max Homa, who fired a second round 62, finishing tied fifth with Justin Thomas after closing with rounds of 66 and 69 respectively. Tony Finau shot the lowest round of the final day, a six-under 64, to move into ninth place.

For the final Tour Championship leaderboard, click here.

Rory McIlroy WITB

  • TaylorMade Stealth Plus Driver; 9° (Ventus Black 6X)
  • TaylorMade SIM2 3-Wood; 15° (Kai’li White 80TX)
  • TaylorMade Stealth Plus 5-Wood; 19° (Ventus Black 9X)
  • TaylorMadeRors Proto Irons 3-9 (PX Rifle 7.0)
  • TaylorMade Milled Grind 3 wedges; 46° SB (PX Rifle 6.5), 54° HB (PX Rifle 6.5), 58° SB (PX Rifle 6.5)
  • TaylorMade Spider X Hydro Blast putter
  • TaylorMadeTP5x ball

 

 

The post Rory takes route 66 to win Tour Championship appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
16096
Lighting delays Tour Champs as Scheffler clings on to narrow lead https://golfnews.co.uk/features/lighting-delays-pga-tour-finale-as-scheffler-clings-on-to-narrow-lead/ Sat, 27 Aug 2022 23:56:10 +0000 https://golfnews.co.uk/?p=16091 The third round of the Tour Championship was suspended because of lightning with Scottie Scheffler leading by one shot on 19 under par at East Lake in Atlanta. Fellow American Xander Schauffele is his nearest rival with 14 players still to complete their round. Play will resume at 2.45pm (UK time) on Sunday with the final round to follow. Rory McIlroy is four shots behind Scheffler with two holes of his third round remaining. The Northern Irishman five under par for his round, […]

The post Lighting delays Tour Champs as Scheffler clings on to narrow lead appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
The third round of the Tour Championship was suspended because of lightning with Scottie Scheffler leading by one shot on 19 under par at East Lake in Atlanta.

Fellow American Xander Schauffele is his nearest rival with 14 players still to complete their round. Play will resume at 2.45pm (UK time) on Sunday with the final round to follow.

Rory McIlroy is four shots behind Scheffler with two holes of his third round remaining. The Northern Irishman five under par for his round, having carded an eagle and four birdies in his 16 completed holes. Justin Thomas will return to a two-foot birdie putt on the 18th. He is currently six under par for his round and five off the lead.

Scheffler and Schauffele had both managed 12 holes of their third round, which had already been delayed by an hour because of the weather, when play was finally halted. Scheffler began the tournament with a four-shot lead over Schauffele as players began the season-ending event on different scores determined by their place in the FedEx Cup standings. 

But Schauffele had trimmed that advantage to two after 36 holes and started round three strongly with birdies at the second and third to move alongside Scheffler on 19 under. However, he paid the price for missing fairways with bogeys at the fourth and fifth holes, only to birdie the sixth and seventh – the latter thanks to a 33-foot putt to again equal Scheffler. After seven pars, Scheffler holed a 12-foot birdie putt at the eighth to pull one stroke ahead and both made bogeys at the par-three 11th after landing in bunkers, leaving Scheffler ahead when play was stopped.

“With a 72-hole event I think it’s still pretty early in the tournament,” said Scheffler.  “We’re all just kind of jockeying for position and I was just out there trying to hit some quality shots. I wasn’t playing my best, but I was kind of hanging in there. I was looking forward to giving myself some opportunities at the end, but then the horn went off.”

The post Lighting delays Tour Champs as Scheffler clings on to narrow lead appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
16091
It’s the Scheffler and Schauffele show at PGA TOUR finale https://golfnews.co.uk/features/its-the-scheffler-and-schauffele-show-at-pga-tour-finale/ Sat, 27 Aug 2022 09:32:09 +0000 https://golfnews.co.uk/?p=16072 Xander Schauffele narrowed Scottie Scheffler’s lead to two shots at the PGA Tour’s Tour Championship after carding a seven-under 63 in the second round at East Lake, Atlanta on Friday. Just the top 30 players in the PGA Tour standings qualified for the $75m event, where the winner will claim $18m, with second place receiving $6.5m and last place taking home $500,000. Schauffele started the day five shots behind Scheffler but hit six birdies before holing a putt for an eagle on […]

The post It’s the Scheffler and Schauffele show at PGA TOUR finale appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
Xander Schauffele narrowed Scottie Scheffler’s lead to two shots at the PGA Tour’s Tour Championship after carding a seven-under 63 in the second round at East Lake, Atlanta on Friday.

Just the top 30 players in the PGA Tour standings qualified for the $75m event, where the winner will claim $18m, with second place receiving $6.5m and last place taking home $500,000.

Schauffele started the day five shots behind Scheffler but hit six birdies before holing a putt for an eagle on the final hole to cut his compatriot’s lead. World number one Scheffler leads on 19 under after following up his opening 65 with a 66.

Scheffler said: “I’m happy only making one bogey. I’ve kept the ball in position for the most part. Had a couple bad swings off the tee, but other than that I’ve given myself a lot of looks and I’m playing good.”

Schauffele said: “I’ve got to keep my head down. Scottie’s playing really boring, solid golf. He’s doing exactly what he’s supposed to be doing to keep the lead. I have to stay patient.”

Max Homa hit the round of the tournament so far with an eight-under 62, the lowest score at the PGA Tour’s season finale since Zach Johnson shot a third-round 60 in 2007, while Jon Rahm equalled Schauffele’s seven under, moving the Spaniard up to third. Patrick Cantley is in fourth on 12 under after a second round 66.

Rory McIlroy matched his first-round 67 to improve to seventh place on 10 under, while Matt Fitzpatrick, who shot a six-under 64 on Thursday, signed for a 71 to drop back to seven under and a share of 11th. 

The post It’s the Scheffler and Schauffele show at PGA TOUR finale appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
16072
Cantlay claims BMW Championship to set up FedExCup finale https://golfnews.co.uk/features/cantlay-claims-bmw-championship-to-set-up-fedexcup-finale/ Mon, 22 Aug 2022 08:33:51 +0000 https://golfnews.co.uk/?p=15981 American Patrick Cantlay became the first player to successfully defend a tournament in the FedEx Cup by retaining the BMW Championship. A final-round 69 at Wilmington secured a one-shot victory for the world number four over compatriot Scott Stallings. He birdied 17 and although he found sand off the 18th tee, he scrambled to make a tap-in par for a 14-under total. “I hit a lot of solid shots then I got a couple of breaks,” said Cantlay, who began the […]

The post Cantlay claims BMW Championship to set up FedExCup finale appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
American Patrick Cantlay became the first player to successfully defend a tournament in the FedEx Cup by retaining the BMW Championship.

A final-round 69 at Wilmington secured a one-shot victory for the world number four over compatriot Scott Stallings. He birdied 17 and although he found sand off the 18th tee, he scrambled to make a tap-in par for a 14-under total.

“I hit a lot of solid shots then I got a couple of breaks,” said Cantlay, who began the back nine two off the lead. “I played a lot of great golf this week and I’m happy to come out of here with the win.”

Cantlay’s triumph means he will start next week’s season-ending Tour Championship in second place in the FedEx Cup standings. In the unique staggered-start tournament – which is decided by each players’ FedEx performances so far – Cantlay will begin on eight under, two shots behind over leader Scottie Scheffler, who finished in a tie for third with Xander Schauffele on 11 under.

Rory McIlroy will tee off in Atlanta on four under after a closing 69 which included birdies on his last three holes to give the four-time major winner a share of eighth alongside Jon Rahm. However, McIlroy’s Ryder Cup team-mate Shane Lowry missed out on a spot in the 30-man field at East Lake by a single place despite a final round of 68. The former Open champion looked set to qualify after his fifth birdie of the day on the 14th, but the Irishman three-putted the 17th for a costly bogey.

For the full scores from the BMW Championship, click here

The post Cantlay claims BMW Championship to set up FedExCup finale appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
15981
Cantlay wins Tour Championship and $15m FedExCup title https://golfnews.co.uk/golf-news/cantlay-wins-tour-championship-and-15m-fedexcup-title/ Mon, 06 Sep 2021 06:08:14 +0000 http://dpd.aef.myftpupload.com/?p=13000 Patrick Cantlay birdied the 18th hole at East Lake to win the Tour Championship, FedEx Cup title and $15m first prize in Atlanta. The American hit a closing one-under-par 69 to finish on 21 under, one shot ahead of world number one and US Open champion Jon Rahm, who shot a 68. Victory at last week’s BMW Championship in the PGA Tour’s end-of-season play-offs, also saw Cantlay move top of the Fedex Cup standings and meant he started this season-ending […]

The post Cantlay wins Tour Championship and $15m FedExCup title appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
Patrick Cantlay birdied the 18th hole at East Lake to win the Tour Championship, FedEx Cup title and $15m first prize in Atlanta.

The American hit a closing one-under-par 69 to finish on 21 under, one shot ahead of world number one and US Open champion Jon Rahm, who shot a 68.

Victory at last week’s BMW Championship in the PGA Tour’s end-of-season play-offs, also saw Cantlay move top of the Fedex Cup standings and meant he started this season-ending tournament on 10 under par, two shots clear of his nearest rival under a controversial system adopted in 2019. Cantlay kept that two-shot advantage after round one, but saw it cut to one by Rahm after round two.

He restored his two-shot lead over the Spaniard heading into the final round, with Justin Thomas a further three shots back, but the race for the title was always going to be between the top two.

Cantlay moved three ahead with a birdie on the second, but Rahm closed to within one with a birdie on the fifth as the American had a three-putt bogey. That was as close as the Spaniard got though. He was again within one when Cantlay bogeyed the 17th, but his birdie on the par-five closing hole was matched by the American who held on for the biggest win of his career.

“I just kept telling myself to focus and lock in and I did a great job of that,” said the world number four. “It was definitely different than any other week. It was the longest lead I’ve ever held. But I just tried to stay, day after day in the present, and I did an amazing job of that this week because the last couple days I made some mistakes I don’t usually make and I was able to really centre myself and hit a lot of good shots when I needed to.”

Cantlay’s win at last week’s BMW Championship earned him one of six qualification spots in the US team at Whistling Straits for the 43rd Ryder Cup. Captain Steve Stricker will name his six wildcard picks on September 8. European captain Padraig Harrington will name his three wildcard picks after the conclusion of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on September 12.

To see the full leaderboard from the Tour Championship, click here

The post Cantlay wins Tour Championship and $15m FedExCup title appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
13000
MAGICAL MCILROY WINS TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP AND $15m FEDEX CUP https://golfnews.co.uk/features/magical-mcilroy-wins-tour-championship-and-fedex-cup/ Mon, 26 Aug 2019 08:41:26 +0000 http://dpd.aef.myftpupload.com/?p=9237 Rory McIlroy carded a final round 66 at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta to win the Tour Championship by four shots and secure the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup title and the $15 million first prize. McIlroy started the tournament on five under par, due to the FedEx Cup’s new handicap system, but would still have won the tournament outright if it had been played on level terms, as he finished well ahead of his title-chasing rivals. Justin Thomas led […]

The post MAGICAL MCILROY WINS TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP AND $15m FEDEX CUP appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
Up for the Cup: Rory McIlroy celebrates winning the Tour Championship and his second FedEx Cup title in three years

Rory McIlroy carded a final round 66 at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta to win the Tour Championship by four shots and secure the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup title and the $15 million first prize.

McIlroy started the tournament on five under par, due to the FedEx Cup’s new handicap system, but would still have won the tournament outright if it had been played on level terms, as he finished well ahead of his title-chasing rivals. Justin Thomas led McIlroy by five shots at the start of the week, but finished on 12 under to share third with Brooks Koepka, while Xander Schauffele took second, four shots in arrears.

With weather delays on Saturday – during which six spectators were taken to hospital following two lightning strikes – the leaders had to play two-thirds of their third round on Sunday morning, before setting out on the final round later in the afternoon.

Koepka held a one-shot lead with 18 to play, but the world no.1 failed to find his best form when it mattered most, hitting a double bogey on the seventh – his first in 142 holes – and racking up three consecutive bogeys on the back nine to finish with a 74.

Sweet revenge: McIlroy outplayed Brooks Koepka during the final round at East Lake

McIlroy, meanwhile, was back to his imperious best. Still smarting after being outgunned by Koepka at last month’s WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational, and his defeat in this tournament 12 months ago at the hands of Tiger Woods, the 30-year-old from Northern Ireland showed the kind of form that took him to the FedEx Cup title in 2016. With birdies at six and seven, he took the lead from Koepka, and despite dropping shots at 14 and 15, birdies at 12 and 13, and two more at 17 and 18, put the icing on a particularly rewarding cake.

“To play like that alongside Brooks and win, it’s awesome,” said McIlroy. “He got one over on me in Memphis last month, and I wanted to sort of try to get some revenge today. My goal twas to go and shoot the lowest score of the week. It’s been such a cool way to end what has been for me a great season.

To win three times is awesome. I feel like I could have won more, but to win the FedEx Cup again, to keep giving myself chances, even when I was getting knocked back, I’m very proud of myself and I’m going to enjoy this one.”

RORY’S STATS IN 2018-2019 PGA TOUR SEASON

  • No,1 in Strokes Gained (SG) total with +2.495
  • No.1 in SG off the tee (+1.185), and tee to green (+2.079)
  • Three wins: Tour Championship, The Players and RBC Canadian Open
  • Finished no worse than T6 in his last 7 starts
  • Led the Tour in Top-10 finishes (14 from 19 starts)
  • Second in scoring average (69.2)

RORY MCILROY’S WINNING CLUBS

Driver: TaylorMade M5 (9°)
Fairway woods: TaylorMade M6 15°, TaylorMade M5 19°
Irons: TaylorMade P750 (4), TaylorMade P730 (5-PW)
Wedges: TaylorMade Milled Grind (52°, 56°, 60°)
Putter: TaylorMadeSpider X Copper
Ball: TaylorMade TP5

The post MAGICAL MCILROY WINS TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP AND $15m FEDEX CUP appeared first on Golf News.

]]>
9237