WASHINGTON - Rory McIlroy is once again world No. 1, the ninth time in his career he has scaled golf’s summit and the way he got there will live long in his memory.
The overnight leader by one stroke, he pulled clear with birdies on holes No. 12, 14, 15 and 16 before holding on for a one-stroke victory in the CJ Cup on Sunday. He closed with a four-under 67 to beat Kurt Kitayama, who also shot 67.
McIlroy, who won this event in 2021 when it was held in Las Vegas, finished on 17-under 267 at Congaree Golf Club in South Carolina. The four-time Major winner was last No. 1 in July 2020 – when he was supplanted by Spain’s Jon Rahm.
He ousted Scottie Scheffler, who finished tied for 45th on Sunday to see the American’s 30-week stint at the summit end. He had also defeated Scheffler at the Tour Championship in September to win a record third FedExCup title.
“It means a lot,” McIlroy said, with a little catch in his throat. “This tournament last year was the start of me trying to build myself back up to this point. I had a really rough Ryder Cup. I’ve talked about that at length.
“I was outside the top 10 in the world. It’s not a position that I’m used to being in. I just think about everyone that has made a difference in my life, obviously, not over the last 12 months, but ever.”
He notched a 23rd career PGA Tour title, and continued to show the strong form of his 2021-22 campaign, where he finished in the top eight at all four Majors.
“I’ve worked so hard over the last 12 months to get myself back to this place,” he added. “I feel like I’m enjoying the game as much as I ever have. I absolutely love the game of golf and I think that when I go out there and I play with that joy, it’s definitely showed over these last 12 months.”
The Ulsterman, 33, has also emerged as a strong voice supporting the PGA Tour amid the emergence of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
He said if someone had told him when he missed the cut at the Texas Open in March that he would be No. 1 in October, “I would have asked them what they were smoking”.
“It has just been a wild six months,” McIlroy said. “Now it’s all about going forward and trying to just keep this going.”
“It’s a lot to process right now just with everything, but just really proud of myself with how I handled this week knowing what was at stake.”
It was a battle all Sunday as McIlroy, Kitayama, Rahm and South Korean Lee Kyoung-hoon traded birdies in the early stages.
After the front nine, McIlroy and Kitayama were tied at 15-under with Rahm and Lee one behind. Lee could only manage one more birdie down the stretch and signed for a 68. He was third on 269.
Rahm (69) could not recover from a bogey at No. 14 and shared fourth on 270 with England’s Tommy Fleetwood (65).
“The competitor in me wants to finish the tournament off the right way,” McIlroy, who finished bogey-bogey, said. “I didn’t feel like I quite did that, but it was nice that I gave myself the cushion at least.”
Kitayama, who was trying to claim his first Tour win, said: “It was a battle. I was kind of coming down the stretch there, I was grinding to get in with a bunch of pars it felt like. Yeah, it was tough, but Rory came out three in a row right there and that was tough to compete with.” AFP, REUTERS
