Rory McIlroy overcame a three-shot deficit Monday in five holes, and then survived mistakes on the final two holes of the Deutsche Bank Championship to close with a 4-under 67 and escape with a one-shot victory over Louis Oosthuizen.
McIlroy joined Tiger Woods, who was another stroke back, as the only three-time winners on the PGA Tour this year.
Oosthuizen had a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff, only it slid by on the right side for a 71.
Woods made an early charge, though he never got closer than three shots until a two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th gave him a 66.
Phil Mickelson also had a 66 and tied for fourth, along with Dustin Johnson, who had a 70 in Norton, Mass., and likely played his way onto the Ryder Cup team.
Davis Love III will announce his four picks this morning in New York.
McIlroy didn’t make it easy on himself. The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland had a three-shot lead with six holes to go, and only a clutch bogey putt on the 17th hole kept him from losing all of his lead.
“I had a couple of wobbles coming in, but I obviously did enough and I’m very excited to get a victory,” said McIlroy, who played 72 holes in 20-under 264.
Puyallup’s Ryan Moore shot a 1-over 72 and slipped from a tie for fifth after three rounds to a tie for 10th.
Tracking local golfers on the pga tour
Last week: Deutsche Bank Championship, through Monday at TPC Boston, Norton, Mass.
In the field: Puyallup’s Ryan Moore, Gig Harbor’s Kyle Stanley.
Stanley’s fourth-round score: Even-par 71.
Moore’s fourth-round score: 1-over 72.
Position: Moore (10-under 274) tied for 10th, and Stanley (2-under 282) tied for 42nd – all behind winner Rory McIlroy (20-under 264).
Recap: After Moore nearly holed out from the ninth fairway, and ended up making a 3-foot putt for birdie, he was 13 under for the tournament and primed for a top-five finish. Then he played the next seven holes in 5-over par. … Stanley started hot (three birdies in first seven holes) and stumbled late, including a final-hole bogey in which his third shot from a greenside bunker flew into the trees out of bounds.
Next for Moore, Stanley: BMW Championship starting Thursday at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind.
todd.milles@thenewstribune.com
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