McIlroy rallies to win Deutsche Bank
Norton, MA – World No. 1 Rory McIlroy closed with his second straight 4-under 67 on Monday to win the Deutsche Bank Championship by one stroke over Louis Oosthuizen.
McIlroy finished at 20-under-par 264. This was his third win of the season and fifth of his young PGA Tour career.
The PGA Champion also jumps to the top of the FedExCup standings with two playoff events to go.
"That was more survival the last few holes. I didn't finish it off the way I would have liked to, but I got there in the end," McIlroy said in a television interview. "You know, I'm very happy. It's my third victory of the year and it's great to get a victory in these playoffs."
Oosthuizen, the third-round leader, only managed an even-par 71 in the final round to end alone in second at minus-20. The 2010 British Open champion lost to Bubba Watson in a playoff at the Masters and failed again in his attempt to collect his second PGA Tour title.
Tiger Woods parred eight straight holes from the 10th. He did birdie the last for a 5-under 66, which gave him third at 18-under-par 266 at TPC Boston.
With his third-place paycheck, Woods passed the $100 million mark in career earnings, making him the first golfer to accomplish that feat.
Dustin Johnson (70) and Phil Mickelson (66) shared fourth at minus-14. The tie for fourth was Mickelson's best finish since he shared third at the Masters.
Woods birdied four of the last six holes on the front nine, but he never got closer than three shots.
Oosthuizen used a hot third round to grab the lead entering Monday, but it was McIlroy that got off to the fast start.
McIlroy chipped his third to three feet at the second to setup birdie, then rolled in a 12-footer for birdie at the third. He made it three in a row with a 4-foot birdie putt at the fourth.
He was still one back as Oosthuizen parred the first three holes, before rolling in a 21-foot birdie effort at the fourth.
The big turning point came at the fifth, where both players made a mess of the hole. Oosthuizen pulled his tee shot well left into a hazard. After a drop, he pitched down the fairway before finding the green with his fifth shot.
Oosthuizen 2-putted for double-bogey to fall into a share of the lead with McIlroy, who bogeyed the hole after driving into the left rough.
McIlroy stuffed his approach within three feet at sixth. He tapped that in for birdie and a 1-shot lead. The Ulsterman converted an 11-footer for birdie at No. 8 to move two clear.
The two-time major champion pushed his lead to three with another 11-foot birdie putt at the 12th.
Oosthuizen came right back with birdies at 13 and 15, both from inside 14 feet, to cut his deficit to one. Both players missed the green at the 17th, and that led to bogeys for both players.
At the last, McIlroy nearly sealed the win with a birdie. His 19-footer hung on the right lip to give Oosthuizen a chance.
"Nice to get the victory, and I'm delighted at the minute and looking forward to the next couple of weeks," McIlroy said on television.
Oosthuizen, who battled through a pectoral muscle problem throughout the round, had 12 feet for birdie to force a playoff. His putt slid by the right edge to give McIlroy the title.
"I started off a bit shaky, but I played really well (down the stretch)," Oosthuizen said in a televised interview. "(The muscle) felt good this morning. I might just take a rest up until Thursday."
Woods birdied the fourth and sixth from nine and 10 feet respectively. He nearly chipped in for eagle at the par-5 seventh, but settled for a tap-in birdie that left him three behind McIlroy.
After a par at eight, the 2006 winner sank an 8-footer for birdie to get back within three. However, he parred his next eight holes. In that stretch, Woods had just three birdie chances inside 30 feet, including a 6-footer at 17, but failed to convert any of them.
Woods had 23 feet for eagle at the last, but his putt rolled by the right edge. He tapped in for birdie to take third.
"I wanted to get to 20 (under). I thought if I got to 20 with one hole to go, I'd give myself the option to go to 21- or 22-under, I thought that might have a chance," Woods said.
Charley Hoffman was easily into next week's event at the start of his round, but he dropped seven shots in a 5-hole span to put him in jeopardy of missing next week's BMW Championship.
After another bogey at 17, Hoffman scrambled to a par at the last to keep his spot in the field next week. He closed with a 76 to share 26th at minus-5. In doing so, he knocked Jonas Blixt out of the top 70 on the points list, which was the cut off point to get into next week's tournament.
NOTES: McIlroy earned $1.44 million for the victory ... Blixt wasn't the only one to have his playoffs end. Aaron Baddeley, Sean O'Hair and Jason Day were among those that failed to advance to next week ... The PGA Tour is in Indiana on Thursday for the BMW Championship, where Justin Rose will defend his title.