Tour Championship: Rory McIlroy wins title in Atlanta to claim FedEx Cup

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Rory McIlroyImage source, EPA
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Rory McIlroy's eagle shot from 137 yards at 16 was his longest hole out on the PGA Tour in three years

Tour Championship final-round leaderboard

-12 R McIlroy (NI),R Moore (US), K Chappell (US); -9 P Casey (Eng); -6 H Matsuyama (Jpn); -5 D Johnson (US), J Thomas (US); -4 A Scott (Aus)

Rory McIlroy won a play-off to seal victory in the Tour Championship and take the $10m (£7.7m) FedEx Cup prize.

The Northern Irishman, 27, rolled in a birdie from 15 feet to edge out Ryan Moore on the fourth play-off hole to win the $1.5m (£1.15m) tournament.

The world number three's victory was enough to see him beat US Open champion Dustin Johnson to the FedEx Cup, the PGA Tour's season-long points race.

Johnson finished seven shots off the lead at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

McIlroy and Moore hit final-round 64s to set up a three-way play-off with Moore's fellow American Kevin Chappell, who posted a 66.

McIlroy, who will be part of Europe's Ryder Cup team at Hazeltine, external next weekend, said he had been determined not to let the FedEx Cup prize affect his approach to the final round of the season-ending tournament.

"All I wanted to do was concentrate on winning the Tour Championship," said McIlroy, who also won the Deutsche Bank Championship three weeks ago.

"I couldn't control what anyone else did. I needed to come out here and play a really good round of golf. I just wanted to go out and play the way I have been playing.

"I feel my game is really coming together at the right time, and two wins in the last three feels pretty nice."

A strong end to the season put McIlroy in contention - in marked contrast to when he missed the cut at Baltusrol in the US PGA Championship in July, calling his putting "pathetic".

It was the first time in his career that he had missed the cut in the tournament.

"To play the way I have in the last few weeks to get it done is very special," he said.

"I couldn't have imagined six weeks ago after Baltusrol I would be FedEx Cup champion."

In Atlanta, McIlroy was three shots off the lead with three holes to play but a 137-yard eagle at the 16th sparked his fightback.

A birdie at 18, after a chip from a bunker to within two feet, sealed his place in the play-off.

Both McIlroy and Moore birdied the first play-off hole at 18, but the Ulsterman was unlucky to see his eagle putt hit the lip following a brilliant second shot to within six feet.

With Chappell eliminated, McIlroy and Moore each took par after a second trip down the 18th, and on the third play-off hole at 15, before McIlroy birdied the 16th to win the 10th edition of the FedEx Cup.

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