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As big years go, 2019 has become one of the biggest in Rory McIlroy’s sparkling career.
With a birdie on the first extra hole at Sheshan International Golf Club on Sunday, McIlroy defeated Xander Schauffele to win the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, his fourth victory of 2019.
McIlroy will conclude the year later this month at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, already having won the Players Championship, the RBC Canadian Open, the Tour Championship and his third career WGC title, to go along with the FedEx Cup as he closes in on No. 1 Brooks Koepka in the world ranking.
“The four wins this year have been wonderful,” McIlroy said. “The Players Championship, Canadian Open, the Tour Championship to win the FedExCup, big events. But more than that, I think it is the consistency that I'm bringing week in, week out. Even if I don't have my best stuff, at least give myself a chance. Even last week in Japan, finding something after a couple of days and go on to produce a high finish (T3 in the Zozo Championship).
“I think maybe more so than say when I first came out on tour, I try 100 percent over every shot, I think because I realize I don’t have as much time left as I used to when I was 20. Even if I’m having a bad day, I’m trying over every single shot. My concentration is better and my mental capacity on the golf course is much better than it ever has been, and I think that’s a big key to why I’m able to play consistently week in, week out.”
McIlroy’s consistency won out in China, where he played the final 39 holes without a bogey. Leading by one on the final hole in regulation, McIlroy failed to birdie the finishing par-5. Schauffele, the defending champion, forced a playoff when he birdied 18.
In the playoff, on No. 18, McIlroy took advantage of a good tee shot, leaving him a 4-iron second shot into the green. Schauffele, coping with the remnants of the flu, could not reach the green in two and when he missed a 12-foot birdie putt, McIlroy’s two-putt birdie clinched victory.
“He’s an elite player. When he’s on, I’d say he’s arguably the best player in the world. He made me play better,” Schauffele said.
McIlroy has finished in the top 10 in 16 of his 21 PGA Tour starts in 2019.
“Even though it’s the end of the year, there’s still a lot to play for,” McIlroy said. “At least there is for me, anyway. You need to find things to motivate you and those are the things that motivated me to travel all this way to Asia and play hard the last couple weeks, and (I’m) excited about how I’ve played. I’ve got one event left to try and replicate that play that I’ve shown over the last two weeks.”
RESULTS | PGA TOUR MONEY LIST | RACE TO DUBAI
Staff and Wire Reports