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Tuesday 27 augusT 2019

nale, meant players started well and really take it to the money.
more under par depend- him," McIlroy said. "And I "Winning the tournament
ing on their position in the did that for the most part. if everyone had started
FedEx Cup. I shot 66 on a really tough even," McIlroy said. "My
McIlroy's only goal going golf course and got the job goal at the start of the week
into the week was to post done." was to just shoot the lowest
the lowest score in the 30- Koepka lost the lead with score. If that happened
man field regardless of a tee shot lost in the trees to work out the right way,
whether he won. and a double bogey on then so be it. But I never
He closed with a 4-under No. 7, and then consecu- strayed from that thought
66, a command perfor- tive bogeys on the back process. I was playing a
mance on a long day of nine as McIlroy made bird- little tournament inside my
31 holes because the third ies. Koepka closed with a head. ... And then going
round had to resume Sun- 72, six shots worse. out in the final group and
day morning. Check. shooting 66 alongside the
That gave him a 13-under The FedEx Cup? That was a No. 1 player in the world,
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, holds up the FedEx Cup trophy
after winning the Tour Championship golf tournament Sunday, 267 for the week, the best big deal for other reasons. when he got the better of
Aug. 25, 2019, in Atlanta. of anyone. McIlroy joined Woods as me a few weeks ago."
Associated Press Check. the only players to win the The majors are over, and
Because of his birdie on the FedEx Cup twice since it there's nothing McIlroy can
Continued from Page 17 had won as many majors in 18th hole of the third round, began in 2007. He strug- do about it now.
"I never enjoyed that walk three years as McIlroy had he was in the final group gled to hoist the silver tro- Not even a $15 million pay-
last year like everyone else won in the last nine years. with Koepka, who beat phy during the presentation out — $14 million in cash,
did," he said. Koepka shot 65. McIlroy him soundly in Memphis. on the 18th green, perhaps $1 million deferred — or
He appreciated Woods laid an egg. That was a strong memory, from a long day of 31 holes. a trophy talked about all
winning. McIlroy did not Sunday at East Lake was his and being at East Lake, he Paul Azinger, the lead ana- year by the PGA Tour can
appreciate that he didn't chance for redemption on still thought about the 74 lyst for NBC Sports, jokingly change that kind of lega-
make Woods work terribly a number of levels, and he he shot in the final round a suggested that "as hard a cy. Majors matter the most.
hard for it. added another one by his year ago while paired with time as he had lifting it up, For McIlroy, no major mat-
Recent motivation came questioning of the new for- Woods. I thought the money was in ters more than the Masters,
from a World Golf Champi- mat in which not everyone "I thought about the final there." the only one keeping him
onship last month in Mem- started on the same score. group with Tiger last year, For every box he wanted from a career Grand Slam.
phis, Tennessee, where he The new system, designed the final group with Brooks to tick on Sunday, he was This year's biggest disap-
had a one-shot lead over to eliminate confusion by in Memphis a few weeks asked which made him the pointment was a British
Brooks Koepka, the No. 1 having only one winner on ago, and I really wanted most proud. Open in his home country
player in the world who Sunday in the FedEx Cup fi- to go out there and play McIlroy never mentioned of Northern Ireland. q