ATLANTA -- Rory McIlroy holed two shots on the 16th hole at East Lake that made him a most unlikely FedEx Cup champion on Sunday.

The first one he didn't even see go in.

Three shots behind with three holes to play at the Tour Championship, McIlroy holed a pitching wedge from 137 yards for eagle that gave him the spark he needed to close with a 6-under 64 and join a three-way playoff with the FedEx Cup title riding on the outcome.

"I knew I was right back in the golf tournament," he said.

Four playoff holes later on the 16th, after Ryan Moore made a par putt from just outside 15 feet, McIlroy knocked in his 15-foot birdie putt to win two trophies that he desperately wanted -- the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup.

"Just to see that ball drop, and everything that's come together for me this year ... to pull it off was really special," McIlroy said, his voice still hoarse from screaming over so many quality shots, so many clutch moments over the final two hours at East Lake.

McIlroy picked up $11.53 million in one day -- the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus and $1.53 million for the Tour Championship, his second victory in three weeks, making him the first player to win four FedEx Cup playoff events.

His only hope was to win the Tour Championship and have Dustin Johnson finish worse than second alone. Johnson closed with a 73 and tied for sixth.

In its 10th year, the FedEx Cup never had a finish like this.

Moore, who got the last captain's pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup team later Sunday, missed an 8-foot birdie putt by the slimmest of margins on the par-5 18th hole in regulation for a 64. In the playoff, he holed a 10-foot birdie putt with McIlroy facing a 6-foot eagle putt for the victory. McIlroy missed.

Even on the final hole, Moore gave McIlroy everything he had. His chip over a ridge raced well past the hole, and it looked as though McIlroy would have to only two-putt for the victory. Instead, Moore holed another big putt.

"I just wanted to make him earn it for that much money at least," Moore said. "I wanted him to make the putt. It was nice to get up and make it, but you give a great player like him that many opportunities, and he's going to make one eventually."

Kevin Chappell had a two-shot lead with two holes to play when he made bogey on the 17th hole -- only his third of the week at East Lake -- and Moore birdied it in the group ahead of him. Chappell was woefully short on a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th for the win, and he was eliminated with a par on the first playoff hole when he made par.

Rory McIlroy was three shots behind with three holes to play Sunday, but he came back to win at East Lake in the longest playoff in the 30-year history of the Tour Championship. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

They finished at 12-under 268.

Johnson surprisingly was never a factor, and he hit too many errant shots on the front nine and never recovered. He still would have won the FedEx Cup had either Moore or Chappell won the tournament, which he said "would have been really cool."

"It didn't feel right because I didn't win the Tour Championship,'' Johnson said. "That's why I was here to win. I knew I controlled my own destiny."

Johnson was second in the FedEx Cup and received a $3 million bonus.

McIlroy had control of this all along once he got into the playoff, except for one nervous moment.

He looked to put the perfect finish onto his big day when he hit out of the rough and over the water to 6 feet for an eagle putt on the par-5 18th in the first playoff hole. McIlroy was ready to pump his fist until his eagle putt slid by, and he removed his cap in disbelief.

Returning to the 18th, McIlroy missed an 18-foot birdie putt for the win. On the third extra hole, the par-3 15th over the water from 201 yards, McIlroy had to make a 7-foot par putt just to stay in the game.

Nothing was bigger than that birdie at the end. McIlroy stiffened his back, clutched both arms and shouted above the raucous cheers at East Lake.

"I've made it no secret that it's one of the last things I feel like I had left on my golf CV, and I made it a big goal of mine to win it," McIlroy said. "To be here and to win the FedEx Cup ... to play the way I have in the last few weeks to get it done, is very special."

It was the longest playoff in the 30-year history of the Tour Championship.

Moore had to wait two hours to see if his performance -- a 66-64 weekend at East Lake -- was worthy of a captain's pick. Davis Love III was to announce his decision during halftime of the Sunday night NFL game.

Chappell headed into a month off trying to figure out what he has to do to win. He was runner-up for the fourth time this season -- twice to Jason Day, the No. 1 player in the world, and once to McIlroy. In those final rounds, Chappell's scores were 67, 69, 69 and 66.

"I'm proud of the way I fought," he said. "It just wasn't enough."</s>ATLANTA—Rory McIlroy checked off two more big boxes on his list of career achievements Sunday when he won the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

The native of Northern Ireland birdied the fourth extra hole to beat Ryan Moore and survive a three-man playoff at East Lake Golf Club.

McIlroy hit a 328-yard drive on the par-4 16th hole, the fourth in the playoff, and landed his approach within 14 feet. He made the winning putt moments after Moore knocked in a par-saving putt.

McIlroy, a four-time major champion, received $1.53 million for winning the tournament and the $10 million bonus for winning the FedEx Cup.

"It means an awful lot," McIlroy said. "I've made it no secret that it's one of the last things I feel like I had left on my golfing CV, and I made it a big goal of mine especially after the summer had gone, to win it."

It is the second victory this season for McIlroy. He won the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second FedEx Cup playoff event. He lacks only the Masters to win the career Grand Slam.

"So to be here and to win the FedEx Cup, especially where I came in in the mid-30s somewhere, to play the way I have in the last few weeks to get it done is very special," McIlroy said.

McIlroy was almost an afterthought after a second-round 70 left him five shots behind leader Dustin Johnson. But he had a productive session on the range after Friday's round, fixed a flaw and finished with rounds of 66-64.

McIlroy, Moore and third-round co-leader Kevin Chappell were tied at 12-under 268 after 72 holes.

McIlroy had a chance to win on the first playoff hole. He hit his second shot on the par-5 18th hole within six feet but rimmed out his eagle putt a moment after Moore calmly rolled in an eight-foot birdie putt.

Chappell, in search for his first PGA Tour victory, was eliminated on the first extra hole after he hit a poor drive and made par.

McIlroy missed a 16-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole, also the 18th hole, that would have given him the win. Moore made a three-foot par putt to continue the playoff.

On the third playoff hole, the par-3 15th, both players exchanged pars.

"I did everything I could," Moore said. "I hit every golf shot as good as I possibly could today. I put 100 percent effort into everything out there. Unfortunately today, it wasn't enough."

Johnson, who began the final round tied with Chappell for the lead, staggered to a 73—the highest score posted on Sunday—and tied for sixth. He would have won the FedEx Cup had Moore or Chappell prevailed in the playoff.

"I didn't roll it that good today," Johnson said. "I felt like I hit some good putts. I just didn't make anything. I missed quite a few short ones on the front nine, and then on the back nine had a lot of good looks for birdie and didn't make any of them."

Chappell had a two-shot lead entering the 17th hole when his found the rough with his drive and made just his third bogey of the week. He drove into the rough off the 18th tee and opted to lay up on the part-5 closing hole. He two-putted for par and a 66.

"I can't be negative even if I want to be," Chappell said. "I made three bogeys all week. Made two today, but three all week, four rounds in the 60s at East Lake. Finished wherever I finished in the FedEx Cup. It was a good year. That's the way I'm going to look at it."

Moore missed an eight-footer on the final hole that might have won him the tournament in regulation and shot a 64.

McIlroy also shot 64. He holed a 138-yard shot from the fairway for an eagle at No. 16 and birdied the final hole after a brilliant sand shot left him a foot away.

Paul Casey's closing 64 was enough to push the Englishman into fourth place at 271. In three appearances at the Tour Championship, Casey has never finished worse than fifth.

Hideki Matsuyama shot 69 to finish fifth at 274. Rookie Justin Thomas shot 67 and tied with Johnson for sixth at 275. Sharing eighth at 276 were Jason Dufner and Adam Scott, who finished with a 65.

Defending champion Jordan Spieth tied for 17th at even par.</s>World No3 Rory McIlroy insists he ticked off another career goal by scooping the $10m FedEx Cup with his dramatic victory at the Tour Championship on Sunday night.

McIlroy beat Americans Ryan Moore and Kevin Chappell in a play-off to win at East Lake – a result that saw him overtake Dustin Johnson at the top of the FedEx Cup standings and bank golf’s biggest prize.

“It means an awful lot,” said the Northern Irishman, who has won three of the four Majors and topped the money lists on both the PGA and European Tours.

Read more: Meeting Arnold Palmer gave me goosebumps the size of eggs

“I’ve made it no secret that it’s one of the last things I feel like I had left on my golfing CV, and I made it a big goal of mine especially after the summer had gone, to win it.

“So to be here and to win the FedEx Cup – especially when I came in in the mid-30s [of the standings] – to play the way I have in the last few weeks to get it done is very special.”

McIlroy’s overall FedEx Cup success owed in part to his triumph at the Deutsche Bank Championship, the first tournament in the four-event play-offs, earlier this month.

Moore, meanwhile, had the consolation of forcing American Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III to pick him as his final wildcard selection instead of Bubba Watson.</s>Rory McIlroy was on the brink of falling out of contention at the Tour Championship at East Lake, standing in the 16th fairway three shots off the lead. But he produced a moment of magic, holing out with pitching wedge from 137 yards for an eagle two to keep his hopes very much alive.

McIlroy closed with a birdie on the 18th to post a four-round total of 12-under-par and that was matched by his playing partner Ryan Moore. Kevin Chappell had been at 13-under until a bogey at the 17th, but he had a chance to win the tournament outright with a birdie on the par-5 last. He couldn’t do it however, and that meant a three-way playoff for the title.

Dustin Johnson had been in charge of the destiny of the FedEx Cup until the final round. He led the standings going into the Tour Championship after his victory in the BMW, and he took the lead into day four at East Lake. With victory he would have secured the $10 million bonus prize and most felt he was favourite to do so. But he struggled through the final round after a mis-hit shot on the 5th. He wound up finishing in a tie for sixth place, and that opened the door for McIlroy.

Of the playoff protagonists at East Lake, only Rory could take the FedEx Cup; he needed to win to do so. If either Chappell or Moore were victorious, DJ would be FedEx Cup champion.

McIlroy looked to have it sewn up on the first extra hole when he hit a superb second to the par-5 18th, setting up an eight-foot putt for eagle. Chappell couldn’t make birdie and his race was run. Moore, though, holed his tricky birdie effort to keep the pressure on McIlroy. The Northern Irishman thought he had made his eagle putt but it defied gravity and the playoff went on.

It took three more holes for the Tour Championship to be decided and McIlroy eventually sealed it with a superb birdie at the 16th.

1 – By winning the event and the FedEx Cup, Rory McIlroy earned $11.53 million: $1.53 million for the Tour Championship and $10 million for the FedEx Cup.

 “I’ve made it no secret that it’s one of the last things I feel like I had left on my golf CV, and I made it a big goal of mine to win it,” McIlroy said. “To be here and to win the FedExCup … to play the way I have in the last few weeks to get it done, is very special.”

2 – Ryan Moore produced a superb final round and playoff display but came up just shy of an inspired McIlroy. The American putted incredibly and did enough to convince U.S. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III that he should be the final wildcard pick for the Ryder Cup.

 “Ryan fits so well with what we have in place,” Love said. “He’s an easy-going, thoughtful guy, but don’t be fooled, Ryan’s a great match-play player with an incredible match-play record. He has guts and determination, and everyone saw that today. We are thrilled to have him with us.”

Moore’s selection means World Number 7 Bubba Watson will not be in the U.S. side for Hazeltine.

3 – Dustin Johnson was accepting of defeat on Sunday at East Lake.

 “I knew I controlled my own destiny and it just didn’t happen today,” Johnson said. “Everything was just a little bit off… It wouldn’t have felt right if Ryan would have won and I still won the FedExCup. I would have liked it but it wouldn’t have felt as good as if I’d won the championship.”</s>ATLANTA — Rory McIlroy finally won the FedEx Cup when he least expected it.

McIlroy was three shots behind with three holes to play Sunday in the Tour Championship. Nearly two hours later, he holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the fourth extra hole to win the tournament and claim the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus.

“I took advantage of my opportunities today and yeah, here we are,” McIlroy said, his voice hoarse from screaming over so many quality shots and big moments.

In its 10th year, the FedEx Cup never had a finish like this.

McIlroy fittingly won on the 16th hole, where his remarkable rally began in regulation when he holed out from 137 yards for eagle, and then made birdie on the final hole for a 6-under 64 to join a three-man playoff with Ryan Moore (64) and Kevin Chappell (66).

Moore had an 8-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to win and it caught the lip and spun out. Chappell had a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole to win and left it short.

Dustin Johnson surprisingly was never a factor and he hit too many errant shots on the front nine and never recovered, closing with a 73. Johnson, however, still would have won the FedEx Cup if either Moore or Chappell had won the tournament.

McIlroy had control of this all along. He looked to put the perfect finish onto his big day when he hit over the water to 6 feet for an eagle putt on the par-5 18th in the first playoff hole. Moore, however, holed a 10-footer for birdie. McIlroy was ready to pump his fist until his eagle putt slid by, and he removed his cap in disbelief.

Returning to the 18th, McIlroy missed an 18-foot birdie putt for the win. On the third extra hole, the par-3 15th over the water from 201 yards, McIlroy had to make a 7-foot par putt just to stay in the game.

Nothing was bigger than that birdie at the end. McIlroy stiffened his back, clutched both arms and shouted above the raucous cheers at East Lake. He earned a total of $11.53 million on Sunday, including $1.53 million for the Tour Championship. It was the 13th victory</s>The NBA pulled the All-Star Game from Charlotte, while the NCAA said it would not hold the first and second rounds of the men’s basketball tournament in North Carolina and the ACC relocated all its championships from the state.

The Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte has been around since 2003, while the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro dates to 1938.

Finchem said Tuesday that the PGA Tour supports the NBA, NCAA and ACC over its public stand against the legislation.

“We are not, however, inclined to join that group by pulling our tournament,” he said. “And the reason for that is quite simply, that tournament raises about $1.5 million right now for the Teach for America program in the inner city of Charlotte. Nobody else is going to put that money up.”

Finchem said the three pieces of the PGA Tour mission is to benefit the professional game and the players; building the communities where they play and helping to grow the game golf.

“We’ll be vocal about the legislation,” he said. “But we’re not going to interrupt a unique program that’s doing the great work it’s doing in the city of Charlotte.”

The Wells Fargo Championship will be played next year in Wilmington because Quail Hollow is being used for the PGA Championship.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Jim Furyk and Paul Casey share a peculiar distinction in the FedEx Cup. They are the only players to twice be a Top 5 seed going into the Tour Championship without having won that year.

Casey was the No. 5 seed in 2010 on the strength of his runner-up finish at the BMW Championship. He earned the No. 5 seed this time with successive runner-up finishes in the Deutsche Bank Championship and the BMW Championship.

It means the PGA Tour can only hope for the one scenario that would put a serious dent in the credibility of the FedEx Cup. Casey has a mathematical chance - and the way he’s been playing, it’s not a stretch - to win the $10 million bonus without winning on the PGA Tour.

For that to happen, he would have to be runner-up and hope that none of the players ahead of him - Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Adam Scott and Jason Day - play well. Johnson as the top seed, for example, would have to finish fifth or worse.

Casey tied for fourth in 2010, when Jim Furyk won the Tour Championship to capture the cup.

Fury was the No. 3 seed going into the 2009 Tour Champion and had an ever better chance to win the FedEx Cup without any other trophy that year. He tied for seventh. Furyk also was the No. 4 seed in 2008, but the points system was different that year and no one had a chance of beating Vijay Singh.

Odds are still against Casey.

In the previous nine years, only two players have won the Tour Championship without winning the $10 million bonus <0x2014> Phil Mickelson in 2009 and Camilo Villegas in 2008.

HOLIDAY BONUS: Russell Knox headed to South Africa at the end of last year to play the Nedbank Challenge. He probably won’t have to go as far this year, even with Nedbank moving up a month into the European Tour schedule.

The Tour Championship is the final event before the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas goes to the world ranking to fill its 18-man field. Knox is at No. 19 and is certain to get in because of the number of players who won’t be there, such as Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia.

Scott lives at Albany, but he’ll be Down Under for the Australian Open, World Cup and Australian PGA Championship.

A year ago, the field went into the mid-20s in the world ranking. Among those in need of a good week at East Lake if they want to play - last place pays $100,000 <0x2014> are Emiliano Grillo, Kevin Kisner and Justin Thomas. The tournament is allowed two exemptions, provided they are among the top 50 in the world.

There also is a provision for an exemption to go to the tournament host <0x2014> Tiger Woods.

KOEPKA POWER: Brooks Koepka, the only rookie (so far) on the U.S. Ryder Cup team, says he is most looking forward to being part of a team. He doesn’t count his college days at Florida State because that was essentially individual players adding up their scores.

He’d have to go back to his days playing baseball, which Koepka described as his passion.

He gave up baseball for golf, and the reason was mildly surprising.

“I couldn’t hit for power, believe it or not,” said Koepka, in the top tier of big hitters on the PGA Tour. “I was a decent pitcher, a good shortstop, I just didn’t have a bat. I couldn’t hit the ball out of the park. And if you can’t hit ... oh, well.”

It worked out well for him in the end.

MAJOR AWARD: Lydia Ko has won the Rolex Annika Major Award, which is based on points earned at the LPGA Tour major championships. Players must win a major, and then have the most points from finishing in the top 10.

The 19-year-old from New Zealand joins Michelle Wie (2014) and Inbee Park (2015) as winners of the award.

Ko won the ANA Inspiration, the first major of the year when Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand faded over the closing holes at Mission Hills. That proved to be the difference, as Ko wound up winning the award by six points.

While the race was close, there was little movement in the final major at the Evian Championship. Ko tied for 43rd, while the Thai tied for ninth.</s>Dustin Johnson had a reasonable lie in the rough and only a few pine tree branches blocking his path to the 17th green. Neither seemed like a problem until he played the wrong shot, clipped the tree and wound up with a double bogey Saturday in the Tour Championship.

It was an example of how one hole can change everything at East Lake.

And it’s why the final round of the PGA Tour season suddenly has more scenarios than Johnson cares to consider.

Johnson recovered with a birdie from the bunker on the par-5 18th for a 1-under 69, giving him a share of the lead with Kevin Chappell (68) going into the last round that will determine who wins the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup.

For the first time since 2009, there’s a chance it might not be the same player.

“There’s a lot of scenarios that could happen,” Johnson said. “But yeah, I’m still going to go out and try to shoot as low a score as possible.”

Johnson only has to win or finish second alone to claim the $10 million bonus as the FedEx Cup champion.

Rory McIlroy, who has gone 28 holes without a bogey at East Lake, had three birdies over his last six holes for a 66 and was two shots behind. If he were to win the Tour Championship and Johnson finished in a two-way tie for second or worse, McIlroy would claim the FedEx Cup.

“It would just be great to try to win the Tour Championship, and if the chips fall my way, then so be it,” McIlroy said.

The winner of the Tour Championship has won the FedEx Cup every year since 2009, when Phil Mickelson won the tournament and Tiger Woods won the FedEx Cup.

Johnson led by as many as four shots when he ran off three straight birdies on the front nine, and he really didn’t do much wrong to give up the size of that lead. He had a three-putt from 70 feet on No. 13, and missed the fairway by a few feet on the next hole, enough that his ball was buried so deep that even Johnson and his power couldn’t advance more than about 135 yards.

It was the 17th hole that reshaped the tournament.

Johnson tried to play a fade from a flyer lie in the rough, and the ball came out high and hit a branch, leaving him in more rough about 60 yards short of the green. He put that in the bunker, blasted out to 6 feet and missed the putt to make double bogey.

Chappell rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt for a three-shot swing on the hole and suddenly had the lead, only for Johnson to catch him with the final birdie.</s>It was an example of how one hole can change everything at East Lake.

And it’s why the final round of the PGA Tour season suddenly has more scenarios than Johnson cares to consider.

Johnson recovered with a birdie from the bunker on the par-5 18th for 1-under-par 69, giving him a share of the lead with Kevin Chappell (68) going into the last round that will determine who wins the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup.

For the first time since 2009, there’s a chance it might not be the same player.

“There’s a lot of scenarios that could happen,” Johnson said. “But yeah, I’m still going to go out and try to shoot as low a score as possible.”

Johnson only has to win or finish second alone to claim the $10 million bonus as the FedEx Cup champion.

Rory McIlroy, who has gone 28 holes without a bogey at East Lake, had three birdies over his last six holes for 66 and was two shots behind. If he were to win the Tour Championship and Johnson finished in a two-way tie for second or worse, McIlroy would claim the FedEx Cup.

“It would just be great to try to win the Tour Championship, and if the chips fall my way, then so be it,” McIlroy said.

The winner of the Tour Championship has won the FedEx Cup every year since 2009, when Phil Mickelson won the tournament and Tiger Woods won the FedEx Cup.

Johnson led by as many as four shots when he ran off three consecutive birdies on the front nine.

It was the 17th hole that reshaped the tournament.

Chappell rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt for a three-shot swing on the hole and suddenly had the lead, only for Johnson to catch him with the final birdie. They were at 8-under 202.

Chappell, a runner-up three times this season who has never won on the PGA Tour, has made only one bogey in 54 holes this week, a show of consistency, discipline and a few good breaks when he does miss the fairway.

His next chance at a breakthrough victory is to face golf’s best player at the moment (Johnson), with McIlroy and Ryan Moore (66) two shots behind.

“I’ve always kind of been the underdog, so it’s a role I’m comfortable in,” Chappell said.

Moore went out in 31 until he was slowed by a pair of bogeys, though very much in the mix just two shots out of the lead. The mystery is whether anything he does on Sunday <0x2014> even if that means a victory <0x2014> is enough for Davis Love III to use his last captain’s pick on Moore for the Ryder Cup.

“I came here this week to win a golf tournament, and I’m 100 percent focused on that,” Moore said, adding that the Ryder Cup is “completely out of my control.”

And that’s how the last day is shaping up for everyone <0x2014> post a score and see where it leads.

Johnson, for a moment, looked as though he might take all the drama out of the season-ender when he made a 15-foot par putt early in his round and then ran off three straight birdies on the front nine to go four shots clear.

The putter cooled off, however, and Chappell stayed in range.

Chappell chipped in on No. 12 to match birdies and stay three shots behind, and then he quickly closed the gap when Johnson made back-to-back bogeys, only to respond with a 4-iron over the water to a peninsula green on the par-3 15th to 15 feet for birdie.

“I thought about just trying to hit it in the front bunker, which I probably should have done <0x2014> probably would have made 4 if I’d have done that,” Johnson said. “But it is what it is. I came back and birdied the last hole, tied for the lead going into tomorrow. I like my position.”

And he doesn’t need a degree in math to figure out the easiest scenario <0x2014> just win.</s>► Alexander Levy wins the European Open

 ► Rory McIlroy wins the FedEx Cup

 ► And the Ryder Cup begins this week

Make sure you look out for a extra special addition of Season Pass coming this Saturday lunchtime where we’ll be announcing an incredible Ryder Cup competition.</s>(CNN) Rory McIlroy beat Americans Ryan Moore and Kevin Chappell in a sudden death playoff to win the Tour Championship and wrap up the FedEx Cup on a dramatic final day at East Lake.

The stunning victory is worth $11.53 million to former world No. 1 McIlroy, who conjured up a series of magical shots in a thrilling finale to the PGA Tour season.

It was clinched with a birdie putt on the 16th, the fourth hole of the playoff to finally see off the challenge of Moore, with Chappell having dropped out at the first extra hole.

Both Moore and McIlroy parred the next two playoff holes before the Northern Irishman sealed his double triumph.

A win for Moore would have given US Open champion Dustin Johnson the FedEx Cup series and the $10 million bonus on offer at Atlanta's East Lake course.

Johnson, in the joint lead overnight, slipped to a final-round 73 to leave his fate in the hands of others as he tied for sixth and eventually second place in the FedEx standings, and a $3 million prize.

Four-time major champion McIlroy also looked to have fallen short in his last-round challenge until he spectacularly holed his second shot to the 16th for an eagle to move to within one of the lead.

A birdie on the par-five 18th saw the Northern Irishman complete a final round six-under 64 and with both Chappell and Moore only making pars, that left the trio tied on 12-under 268.

The first hole of the playoff on the 18th saw McIlroy stamp his authority with a stunning approach, but after Moore bravely holed his birdie putt, he was left with little over six feet to take the biggest prize in golf -- but it lipped out of the cup.

Chappell, who played so well on the final day in search of his maiden PGA Tour win, could only make par, leaving the way clear for McIlroy and Moore to battle it out in the gathering gloom.

McIlroy had to hole a nerve jangling par putt on the 15th, the third extra hole, to prolong proceedings, before another booming drive on the 16th set up his victory chance.

Moore kept up the pressure when he drained an unlikely par putt from long range, but McIlroy made no mistake with his birdie effort, complete with winning roar.

"I took advantage of my opportunities today and yeah, here we are," McIlroy said, scarcely able to take in his victory.

He will now head to Hazeltine where Europe looks to defend the Ryder Cup against the United States, but clearly on the top of his form after his second win in three tournaments.
In the final event of the PGA Tour season, The Tour Championship, Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy wins a three-way playoff to claim both the event title and the US$10 million FedEx Cup bonus for the overall season title.