Rory McIlroy is No. 1 in the world again.
The 33-year-old Northern Irishman carded four back-nine birdies on Sunday and signed for 4-under 67 at Congaree Golf Club to win the CJ Cup in South Carolina.
McIlroy successfully defended his title – which he won in Las Vegas at The Summit Club a year ago – for his 23rd PGA Tour title, posting a 72-hole total of 17-under 267, one stroke better than Kurt Kitayama, in Ridgeland, South Carolina.
McIlroy, who won the season-long FedEx Cup in August, joins Tiger Woods as the only reigning FedEx Cup champions to win his first start of the next season. (Woods won the 2008 Farmers Insurance Open.)
Carrying a one-stroke lead into Sunday, McIlroy opened the final round with three birdies in his first six holes before three-putting from 27 feet at No. 8 for a bogey. Another former World No. 1 Jon Rahm made birdies on three of his first five holes to give chase but failed to make a birdie after the 12th and shot 69. He settled for a tie for fourth with Tommy Fleetwood, who closed in 65.
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McIlroy turned on the after burners on the second nine. Sensing he was in a dog fight with Rahm and promising pro Kurt Kitayama, McIlroy reeled off four birdies in a five-hole stretch beginning with the par-5 12th, where he wedged to a foot from 60 yards.
Kitayama, who was bidding for his first PGA Tour title, uncorked a 339-yard drive at the par-4 15th to set up a 44-foot eagle putt, but failed to take advantage, making a 3-putt par. He shot 67 and notched his third runner-up finish this year. At the same hole, McIlroy drove into a waste bunker, but wedged to 5 feet and canned the putt to extend his lead to two shots with three holes to play. McIlroy smelled blood in the water, pouring in a 22-foot birdie putt one hole later and pumped his fist as he knew victory was now in his sights. Bogeys at 17 and 18 made it a bit interesting but it was enough to secure at least one win in six consecutive seasons on the Tour.
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In doing so, McIlroy, who has been No. 1 for a total of 106 weeks, returned to the top spot for the ninth time in his career. Speaking ahead of the tournament, McIlroy said of the chance to regain World No. 1 this week that he enjoyed the journey more than destination.
“It sort of illustrates you can have your runs and you can stay there, but I think the cool part is the journey and the journey getting back there,” he said. “It’s sort of like a heavyweight boxer losing a world title and it’s a journey to get that title back. I feel like that’s the cool part of it and that’s the journey that I’ve sort of been through over the past 12 months.”