A barnstorming performance from Rory McIlroy saw him come from six shots behind to win the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston on Monday.
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But his undulating putt from the back of the green raced 10 feet past the hole to secure McIlroy’s first PGA Tour triumph since May 2015. Nine of the last 10 players with exactly a three-shot lead after 54 holes on the PGA Tour did not win.
What was your favorite moment from Rory McIlroy’s Deutsche Bank win?
Aaron Baddeley narrowly advanced to the next stage of the FedEx Cup playoffs, and he did so with some trusty wedge putting.
McIlroy, who was four over after the first three holes in the opening round, said: “It’s just incredible how things can change in this game”.
Starting the day 6 shots behind third-round leader Casey, McIlroy roared into contention with five birdies on the front nine to pull even with Casey, who never got going and made just one birdie. It went 8 feet by and he missed the meaningless birdie putt. “I was thinking, ‘Here we go again, ‘ and that it was going to be a little bit of a grind and a bit of a struggle”.
Jim Furyk’s hopes of a Ryder Cup wildcard look over when failed to qualify in the top 70 for Thursday’s BMW Championships.
McIlroy, who finished at 15-under 269, moves back to No. 3 in the world.
The 27-year-old from Northern Ireland fell out of the “Big 3” conversation earlier this year when Dustin Johnson won the U.S. Open, Henrik Stenson won the British Open and McIlroy kept sliding, largely because of his putting. McIlroy also switched putters last week at Bethpage Black, though he was at the bottom of the pack in putting. PGA champion Jimmy Walker closed with a 70 to finish third.
The PGA Tour will next head to IN for the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club.
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He got into his stride with a birdie at the second and picked up further shots at the fourth, seventh, eighth and ninth to reach the turn in 31.
