Paul Casey, the overnight leader by three, struggled all day in the TPC Boston breezes, putting up four bogeys versus two birdies in his first 17 holes, but he still had a chance to catch McIlroy at the last. This goes in the books as his 12th PGA TOUR victory but first since the 2015 Wells Fargo Championship. PGA champion Jimmy Walker closed with a 70 to finish third.
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Another birdie at the 12th gave him the outright lead for the first time and, although he gave a shot back at the 17th, he finished positively with a four at the par-five 18th.
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.
He putted so poorly at the PGA Championship, where he missed the cut last month, that he sought help. “I wish I had an emergency nine to go here but that’s good going into next week”.
With the win, McIlroy goes from 38th place in the FedEx Cup all the way up to fourth, locking up his spot in the Tour Championship.
Day’s fellow Australian Adam Scott also praised McIlroy for his resilience after the new World No.3 received a lot of criticism earlier this season for not performing as well as his major rivals.
But when the TPC Boston was at its most risky in 40 miles per hour gusts as Hermine headed out to the Atlantic, he made seven birdies and closed with a 6-under 65 to make up a six-shot deficit and win the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Having played his first four holes of the week in 4-over McIlroy, who recently hired a new putting coach, caught fire to be 19-under for his last 69 holes.
It was not just his putting that clicked, however.
“It was great”, Curran said of the support he had at TPC Boston.
“Once the majors were over with for me, I set my goals as FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai”.
“I am really proud of myself for battling that first day, getting some momentum on Saturday and just going with that”.
“I found my game a little bit on the back nine”, said Scott. I felt responsible. I played four times and didn’t win a point.
Rickie Fowler, who edged Stenson by one stroke to win the Deutsche Bank a year ago, had a pedestrian title defense, closing with a weekend-worst 72 to tie for 46th, one shot behind Stenson.
Since that is a course where he won in 2012, he will feel confident he can do enough to stay in the top five of the FedEx standings for the final event and in touching distance of the $10mn overall prize.
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“He’s been on the practice green every time I’ve been there”, Spieth said.
