The CJ Cup in South Carolina was won by Rory McIlroy on Sunday after a slow ascent back to No. 1 in the world, which was completed off by an explosive burst of three birdies late in the round. Kurt Kitayama was unable to overcome this challenge and was defeated.
With five holes remaining at Congaree, McIlroy was tied with Kitayama. He then ran off three straight birdies to take the lead and finished with two bogeys, barely enough to mar the moment. He finished with a 4-under 67 to win by one stroke.
McIlroy won for the 23rd time on the PGA Tour and the 31st time overall as he finished at 17-under 267.
Only Greg Norman and Tiger Woods have topped the rankings more frequently (both have 11), and this was his tenth time doing so.
The CJ Cup was won by McIlroy for the second time in a row.
Up until McIlroy took control with a 15-foot birdie on the 14th, Kitayama had overcome an early two-shot disadvantage and was level for the lead.
Kitayama drove the green to 45 feet on the 348-yard 15th hole, but McIlroy was in a bunker. While Kitayama ran his putt 6 feet by the cup and missed it coming back to settle for par, McIlroy blasted out to 5 feet and converted the birdie.
Even though there was a brief anxious moment at the finish, McIlroy basically ended the match with a 20-foot birdie on the 16th hole.
On the last hole, where McIlroy had a two-shot lead, Kitayama had a birdie opportunity but missed his long putt by about 8 feet.
LPGA and PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
South Korea’s WONJU (AP) — After a 7-under-par 65 in the final round of the BMW Ladies Championship on Sunday, Lydia Ko captured her 18th career LPGA championship in the homeland of her birth.
Ko won the tournament in South Korea with a score of 21-under 267, four strokes better than Andrea Lee, who shot a final-round 3-under 69.
Ko was born in Seoul and later relocated with his family to New Zealand.
Atthaya Thitikul, who set a tournament record on day one by shooting a 9-under 63 and leading by one going into round two, finished in fourth place after shooting a 2-over 74.
To become the top-ranked woman in the world, she needed to win.
After making a bogey at hole number seven, Ko dropped to 15 under, but she quickly made up ground by making six birdies to pull away from the pack.
Hye-Jin Choi, Hyo Joo Kim, and Lilia Vu tied for third place with scores of 16-under-par 272.
PGA Champions
Richmond, Virginia (AP) The Dominion Energy Charity Classic, the first competition of the Charles Schwab Cup postseason on the PGA Tour Champions, was won by Steven Alker after he birdied three holes in a row to break free of a late four-way tie for the lead on Sunday.
Alker, who entered the competition in the lead for the Schwab Cup in the season’s final three events, defeated K.J. Choi by one stroke thanks to birdies at holes 15, 16, and 17.
For the most on the tour this year, that is tied with Steve Stricker.
On the par-4 15th hole of the James River Course at the Country Club of Virginia, Jerry Kelly, who had held the lead after the first two rounds, had his birdie attempt halt on the edge of the cup.
Alker and Padraig Harrington, who were playing partners, holed their putts to get to 12 under, and Choi followed suit shortly after, a hole ahead.
Choi’s final birdie was only good for a runner-up finish because Alker made birdies on the par-5 16th and the par-3 17th before finishing with a tap-in par on the par-5 18th and raised his arms in victory as it did.
Ernie Els (67) and Brian Gay (69) tied for sixth place with Kelly, who finished with an even-par 72. Harrington (69) and Doug Barron (69) shared third place, two strokes back.
Els ended with seven consecutive pars despite being one stroke behind after making a birdie at the par-4 eleventh.
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