Rory McIlroy capped off a big weekend in Las Vegas on Sunday by surging past Rickie Fowler and holding off Collin Morikawa to win the CJ Cup at Summit for his 20th PGA Tour title.
McIlroy seized control with a 35-foot eagle putt from just off the green on the par-5 14th and then playing mistake-free down the stretch for a 6-under 66 and a one-victory.
McIlroy is the 39th player to win at least 20 times on the PGA Tour, and it’s his fifth straight PGA Tour season with at least one win.
Fowler, who started the final round with a two-shot lead as he tried to end nearly three years without a victory, faded with a pair of three-putts and shot 71 to tie for third. The threat came from Morikawa, a member at The Summit Club, who shot 29 on the front to get in the mix and closed with an eagle for a 62.
That forced McIlroy to play mistake-free after his big eagle putt on the 14th, and he never came close to a bogey in finishing at 25-under 263.
READ: Andalucia Masters: Fitzpatrick wins seventh European Tour crown
He went into the weekend nine shots out of the lead, made up plenty of ground with a 62 on Saturday and then pulled away by taking advantage of the scoring holes.
Keith Mitchell, who had a five-shot lead going into the weekend until a 73 in the third round, closed with a 67 and tied for third with Fowler.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
Lee Janzen made a 20-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff with Miguel Angel Jimenez to win the PGA Tour Champions’ SAS Championship in Cary.
The 57-year-old Janzen also birdied the par-4 18th in regulation, holing a putt from the fringe, in a closing 5-under 67 in the regular-season finale. The two-time US Open champion won the 2015 ACE Group Classic for his only other senior title.
Jimenez finished with a 69 to match Janzen at 12-under 204 at Prestonwood Country Club. The 57-year-old Spanish player has 10 senior victories. He hit his approach over the green in the playoff and chipped to a foot before Janzen rolled in the winner.
Jim Furyk (67) and Alex Cejka (70) were a stroke back.
Charles Schwab Cup points leader Bernhard Langer (70) was 10 under with Paul Broadhurst (68), Thongchai Jaidee (69) and Scott Parel (70).
The top 72 players on the money list advanced to the playoffs, with Monday qualifier Jaidee jumping from 82nd to 72nd. Davis Love III tied for 20th to go from 75th to 71st.
Comments
SHARE