– Rory McIlroy believes he’s reached a turning point in his season, but his “Aha!” moment came well before hoisting the Deutsche Bank Championship trophy Monday afternoon.
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From the depths of frustration, Rory McIlroy has re-energised his season to the extent that his victory in the Deutsche Bank championship in Boston – where he overcame a six-shot deficit on Paul Casey at the start of the final round to win by two – has catapulted him into the mix for the $10 million bonus that awaits the victor of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoff series. “I’ve won the money list (PGA Tour) and the Race to Dubai (European Tour order of merit), so the next two tournaments are huge for me”.
The 27-year-old earned his 12th career PGA Tour win, the third-youngest player to accomplish the feat in Tour history.
McIlroy has secured the third position in the next set of world rankings.
“I don’t know if any criticism is unfair”, McIlroy said in quotes reported by Sky Sports.
Australian Adam Scott in action at the PGA in Norton, Massachusetts.
Paul Casey started the final round with a three-shot lead but could only manage a 2-over 73 that left him in second place, two shots back.
“If you had said to me after three holes on Friday that I would be sitting up here addressing you guys as the victor of this tournament, I would have told you to go somewhere, I think”, he said.
The now two-time Deutsche Bank Championship victor put Friday’s first-round triple bogey and even-par 71 in the rear view with three subsequent rounds in the 60s (67-66-65) and a two-shot, come-from-behind victory over Paul Casey at TPC Boston. “It is nice to get that first win in the States this year”, he said.
“It was absolutely an awesome round of golf in those conditions”, said Casey in tribute to McIlroy’s performance.
McIlroy grazed the hole at both 13 and 14, and he recovered from a poor tee-shot at 16 with a rock-solid two-putt par from 75 feet before he blotted his card at the penultimate hole, where he pulled a long-iron into the rough and came up 35 yards short and into sand with his second. But I felt like I stayed pretty tough.
As well as enjoying his star player’s timely return to form, European captain Darren Clarke would have appreciated the fact he put one over on Casey.
Meanwhile Olympic champion Justin Rose – who had started the day level with McIlroy on nine under – endured a miserable day at the office, plummeting down the leaderboard after an eight-over-par 79. “Even with the great ball-striking, I found it hard at the beginning, but to turn it around and have a lot of looks for birdies and make a few to come in, it’s been great”.
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Day followed a Sunday 68 with a closing 67 to rise into a tie for 15th at seven back.
