Horschel sees off pack to win $10m FedEx

Joy Chakravarty 06:07 15/09/2014
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  • Pay day: Horschel celebrates with his caddie after victory last night.

    Billy Horschel saved his best for the last, as he won the Tour Champion­ship last night – his second straight tournament in two weeks. The win also helped him win the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup, and the $10 million bonus that comes along with it.

    Starting the day at nine-under par and playing alongside world No1 Rory McIlroy, the 28-year-old from Florida never looked like los­ing as he played solid golf and saved some incredible pars with clutch putting.

    Horschel, who is expecting to become a father for the first time next week, shot a two-under par 68 on the final day at East Lake Golf Club course in Atlanta to finish on 11-under par 269, three better than McIlroy (71) and Jim Furyk (69).

    "It's unbelievable," Horschel said. "I was sort of looking toward the start of the 2014-15 season.

    "At the same time I knew my game was in good shape and I needed to get out of my own way. I was able to show my game was in good shape these past two weeks."

    Horschel credited a putting tip from coach Todd Anderson three weeks ago with sparking the run to glory.

    "It was off to the races from there," he said.

    McIlroy’s game started to fall apart after making a birdie on the par-4 fourth hole, where he dropped an 18-feet putt. It all went wrong when the world No1 found the water on the par-3 fifth for a double bogey. On the par-5 ninth, he sprayed his tee shot right almost out of bounds before escaping with just a bogey, and then missed a two-footer for par as he three-putted the 10th hole for a bogey.

    Earlier, NBC’s telecast had shown McIlroy make 55 consecu­tive putts from 12 feet while prac­ticing on the putting green before his round. But he could not take that form into the golf course. On the par-3 11th, McIlroy missed the green on the right side, and failed to make his up-and-down for par and it quickly became a battle between Horschel and Furyk.

    Horschel made back-to-back birdies on the fourth and fifth in a clean front nine to move to 11-un­der par, before dropping a shot on the 10th hole. Furyk, whose last win was at this very tournament way back in 2010, made early bird­ies on the second and third, and added another on the ninth to make the turn at three-under par.

    On the back nine, both Horschel and Furyk made bogeys on the 10th and birdies on the par-5 15th, which kept them one shot apart.

    The key moment for Horschel came on the 16th hole, when he slammed a par putt from 31 feet to stay one ahead, while Furyk dropped a shot a hole ahead to give his younger compatriot a two-shot breathing space playing the last two holes.

    As he has done time and again, Furyk imploded towards the end, and a second straight bogey on the 18th left him tied second with a dis­appointed McIlroy.

    The Northern Irishman praised Horschel but said he was tired after a four-week playoff run and ready for a long rest before the Ryder Cup begins in 12 days.

    "I think it was just a week too far," McIlroy said. "I was making mistakes out there that I don't usually make and it got away from me.

    "I don't want to see my golf clubs until the Ryder Cup. I want to take a week off and recharge."

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