Tiger Woods didn’t mind sharing the spotlight with top-ranked Justin Rose.
The 42-year-old Woods won for the first time in five years, shooting a cautious 1-over-par 71 to win the Tour Championship by two strokes over Billy Horschel, while Rose claimed the FedEx Cup by tying for fourth at East Lake Golf Club (https://www.eastlakegolfclub.com) in Atlanta.
“To win any tournament, let alone the Tour Championship, is amazing after what I’ve been through,” said Woods, who underwent four back surgeries since winning the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. “I just wanted to keep a clean card and make the guys behind come and get me. It was stressful because I kept leaving myself above the hole on the greens.
“I was a little emotional coming up the 18th hole the way the fans were reacting and I though I might cry. Then I realized I had to hit some more shots, but once I got on the green I knew it was time to celebrate. I started to tear up a little bit.
“From where I started at the beginning of the year, to win the Tour Championship is amazing.”
Woods, who shot 65 in the first and third rounds, finished at 11-under 269 and claimed his 80th PGA Tour victory, two behind Sam Snead’s record.
Horschel, the 2014 FedEx Cup champion, birdied three of the last seven holes for a 66, while third-ranked Dustin Johnson posted a second straight 67 to wind up four shots back in solo fourth.
Rose made a two-putt birdie from 30 feet on the last hole to cap a 73 and was one more down in a tie for fourth with Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, who had four birdies on the back nine in a 65, and Webb Simpson, who wound up at 67.
“I started out today hoping to win the tournament, but when I realized that wasn’t going to happen, I went to Plan B,” said Rose, the Englishman who won four times around the world this season and collected the $10-million bonus for winning the FedEx Cup.
“It’s great to win the FedEx Cup and I’m happy for Tiger, too. With so many young guys playing so well, it’s great for us older guys to get something.”
Fourth-ranked Justin Thomas, who won the FedEx Cup last year, closed with a 69 to finish six strokes behind in a tie for seventh with ninth-ranked Rickie Fowler of Murrieta, who had a 65, fifth-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who struggled to a 74, and
Xander Schauffele of La Jolla and San Diego State, the 2017 Tour Championship winner, who came in at 69.
Seventh-ranked Jon Rahm of Spain shot 72 to tie for 11th, eighth-ranked Bryson DeChambeau of Clovis finished 19th after a 67, sixth-ranked Francesco Molinari of Italy totaled 67 and tied for 21st, and second-ranked Brooks Koepka tied for 26th after a 70.
Phil Mickelson, a two-time winner at East Lake, shot 72 and finished last in the 30-man field.
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