When the PGA Tour’s star of 2022, Scottie Scheffler, took a six shot lead into the final round after birdies at four of his last six holes in a delayed third round on Sunday morning it was expected that the four time winner in 2022, including The Masters, would add yet another great title to his name.
The Tour Championship title and the accompanying US$18 million FedEx Cup bonus prizemoney appeared his for the taking as he set out on what appeared to be a stroll to glory.
Golf, however, does work in strange ways. Sometimes the greater the lead the further there is to fall and when Scheffler stumbled to the turn in 37 and was unable to birdie any hole on the back nine, a bogey from the left greenside bunker at the 16th opened a door which had been ajar since early in the round and none other than Rory McIlroy would walk right through.
Scheffler has begun his final round six shots ahead of McIlroy as a result of the lead he was given in the FedEx Cup standings and even though McIlroy had bogeyed his very first hole today and fallen seven behind, by the turn he had recorded four birdies and an outward nine of 32 and the deficit was just one.
Sungjae Im was making his presence felt also with an outward nine of 32 but a double bogey at the 14th would be a little much to overcome and he would fall just short.
The inward journey was not a lot more fruitful for Scheffler as he struggled to find a green and when McIlroy knocked in a 30 footer across the green at the 15th he had drawn level only for Scheffler to bogey the next and lose the lead for the first and last time.
Don’t feel too sorry for Scheffler however as on top of his amazing year already he earns a cheque for US$5.75 million as does Sungjae Im who shared second position one shot behind McIlroy.
For McIlroy, this would be his third win in the FedEx Cup.
“Honestly, I wasn’t really giving myself much of a chance teeing off in the fourth round,” said the winner.
“I thought silver lining was I was playing in the last group so I could at least keep an eye on what he was doing if things didn’t quite work out for him, and thankfully I was in that last group because I was able to put some pressure on him early on.
“And then that coupled with him not having his best stuff today was actually — I felt like going into the back nine, not that it was mine to lose, but I had all the momentum.
“Going out today, I was like, if I can get it within three going into the back nine, I thought that that would be a really good front nine holes. I think we were tied for the lead on the 10th tee.
“Yeah, incredible day, incredible week. 4-over through two holes, 10 shots out of the lead, at that point to claw my way back and end up winning the tournament, incredible. Just a real — really proud of my resilience and how I sort of handled that start and just sort of stuck my head down and kept going all week and took advantage of the opportunity that I was given today.”
“Look, it’s been a tumultuous time for the world of men’s professional golf in particular,” added McIlory when asked about the significance of his victory given the dynamic in world golf at present.
“I’ve been right in the middle of it. I’ve picked a great time to go on the PGA TOUR board. But yeah, I’ve been in the thick of things. I guess every chance I get, I’m trying to defend what I feel is the best place to play elite professional golf in the world. It’s in some ways fitting that I was able to get this done today to sort of round off a year that has been very, very challenging and different.
“Yeah, they’re all sort of different. It’s been nice. Back in 2019 I took down the No. 1 player in the world in Brooks Koepka. This year I took down the No. 1 player in the world in Scottie Scheffler. So I know that my best stuff is good enough to win any tournament against anybody on any golf course. That’s something I can take away from today.”
In a very pointed comment about the disruption LIV Golf is causing and whether the impact his role as a spokesperson is having on him, McIlroy would say: “No, I don’t think so, because if you believe in something I think you have to speak up, and I believe very strongly about this. I really do.
“I hate what it’s doing to the game of golf. I hate it. I really do. Like it’s going to be hard for me to stomach going to Wentworth in a couple of weeks’ time and seeing 18 of them there. That just doesn’t sit right with me.
“So yeah, I feel strongly. I believe what I’m saying are the right things, and I think when you believe that what you’re saying is the right things, you’re happy to stick your neck out on the line.”
Scheffler was asked if he had allowed the money to creep into his thoughts.
“The money is great, obviously. Playing professional golf for a living is such a gift. For me, I don’t play golf for money. I play to win tournaments and I play to have fun and do my best and see where the game can take me.
“Today the money definitely didn’t creep into my mind. I wanted to win the season-long title. I’ve had a really great year and I wanted to finish it off with a win here, and unfortunately I wasn’t able to do that.
“But at the end of the day it’s such a gift to be out here playing golf for money, and I can’t — I’m just so thankful to be out here.”
Cameron Smith was unable to build on the great season he has had and finished 20th while Adam Scott finished 25th in the 29 player field.
Smith earns US$640,000 and Scott US$550,000.
As the where the future of these two players lies especially, Smith, given the, as yet, unconfirmed rumours about him joining LIV Golf continue to bubble, remains to be seen, but if this is the last we see of him on the PGA Tour (and I certainly hope not) then he has had an extraordinary final year and made some sort of statement in 2022.
