01x08 - Everything Has Led to This

[bunniefuu]

How do you go about introducing

your kid to golf? It's a bit different.

Poppy turned to me

I was watching golf last week,

and Poppy said, "I don't like golf."

I'm like, "What?"

"See everything around you?

All because of golf." Um

You probably couldn't have imagined

the kind of year you've had

off the golf course.

Seems like you've embraced it.

Yeah, this is the first year

that I've been on the PGA TOUR board.

And yeah, I mean, sometimes I think,

"What a time

to get involved in all this stuff,"

with everything that's happening

in the professional game.

It's been contentious at times.

And I've maybe leaned into that part of it

a little too much

and made it

a little too personal in my mind,

but I feel like what some people have done

has affected the rest of the profession.

So I'm just trying to defend

what I think is right.

McIlroy believes

the younger generation would face

a massive risk by joining

the lucrative breakaway Super Golf League,

which is being spearheaded by Greg Norman.

One word to describe golf this year.

Disruption.

The top players in the world

are saying no.

I mean, that has to tell you something.

It's rattled the golf ecosystem,

hasn't it? It's crazy.

The players who have chosen to go to LIV,

what is the incentive to go out there

and earn it in the dirt?

You're getting paid a lot of money

up front, and I disagree with it.

With so much chaos

in the pro game,

I think everyone involved with golf

is looking to leaders

to tell them how they should feel.

And on the PGA TOUR,

one player in particular emerges.

And that's Rory McIlroy.

Other than Tiger, Rory is probably

the most influential guy in our sport.

Rory is a unicorn.

Look at that!

That is just awesome.

And what he does is beautiful.

And how he does it is beautiful.

And he's out there hitting it 340,

and he's making it look like

how Baryshnikov made dancing look.

Rory!

What do you see the endgame here?

Because this isn't good for golf.

No, it's not.

I've been an advocate

of trying to make it more cohesive.

And this is, you know, ripping that apart.

The thing about being outspoken

on the PGA TOUR

is you kind of have to back it up.

Rory hasn't won a major in eight years.

And now there's more pressure than ever

on Rory to actually go out and win.

We are at the Old Course at St Andrews,

where golf's deepest roots

lie in these links.

From Old Tom to Tiger,

the greats have shaped

the history of the game here.

The Open has come home,

and there is simply no place like it.

- I could roll this

- You can't hit higher than 215 feet.

Listen, when I start playing,

the bugs will put their helmets on.

Let me wave

to all my drunk friends over here, okay?

St Andrews is one

of my favorite golf courses in the world.

It's the Holy Grail of our sport.

In terms of a popularity contest,

Rory's always right at the top.

Let's go, Rory!

The feeling here, though,

this is his for the taking.

I hope he can. For him, it'd be great.

He's had a tough run,

and he's back in form again,

and everybody wants him to win.

They're willing him to win.

Here's his wedge shot right here.

Who was that?

- Me?

- Yeah.

You forgot that wedge shot

in the playoff at Merion on nine.

- Did I do one of those?

- Hell, the sod covered the ball up.

How are they gonna remember?

They weren't even born yet.

That's why we're showing them.

So they can

- He wasn't born yet for sure.

- Who?

His daddy wasn't even born then.

I'm a big fan

of the history of the game,

of the history of the big championships.

And I can list off

the last 50 Open champions

and the last 50 Masters champions.

- Jack, over here!

- Look this way, please.

I appreciate those people

that came before us,

because that previous generation

and the generation before that,

they are the ones

that have handed us this game of golf.

And we are now the ones

to try to bring that forward

and hand it to the next generation.

I grew up in Northern Ireland,

and my dad was a huge golf fan.

So it's always been a theme in my life.

I'd watch golf with him on TV.

He bought me this, like, VHS videotape

way back in the day,

um, and it was

Nick Faldo's Junior Masterclass.

Come. Let's play.

Anytime he needed me to be quiet,

he would just put that

in the video player,

and I'd just sit in front of the TV

and watch that for hours.

Come on, big swing. Big swing.

I was obsessed with golf

at that point anyway.

But when Tiger came on the scene,

he just sort of took it to a new level.

I just remember watching Tiger play golf.

And it would've been on Sunday nights

back home for us

because of the time difference.

There it is!

A win for the ages!

And he still is,

you know, my hero.

To a lot of people, he is golf.

And I feel very fortunate

for the relationship that we have,

but, you know, ever since then,

you know, I just

All I wanted to do was try to be like him.

Please welcome, from Holywood

the world under-ten golf champion,

Rory McIlroy.

Rory McIlroy has been a sensation

since he was, like, what, five years old,

when he went on some talk show

and was, like, hitting trick shots.

Everyone has known Rory McIlroy's name

for a very long time.

Americans have Tiger Woods.

We have young Rory.

And believe you me,

this boy can hit a ball. I watched him.

I mean,

I'd been hearing crazy stories

about this kid when he was 13,

like, the things he could do.

And not only the things he could do,

but when he was taught something,

how fast he could pick it up.

I'm pretty sure

I was a pretty c*ck and arrogant kid.

I would tell anyone that'd listen I was

gonna be the best golfer in the world.

He went from a chubby kid

who hit the ball far

to really a specimen in not much time.

What a marvelous performance.

This kid will be around for a long time.

What initially looked like a Ford,

under the hood had a Lamborghini engine.

An unreal performance from Rory McIlroy.

I mean, he wins four majors

out the gate pretty quick.

A runaway champion by eight shots.

And then it went from there.

And the champion golfer

of the year is Rory McIlroy.

When you look

at the reasons the players

decided to not take the money from LIV

I think it's the legacy.

And the players like Rory

and Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa,

who want to be

in the World Golf Hall of Fame

next to Hogan and next to Trevino,

that's how they see the game.

This is a sort of calmer day

before the storm starts, isn't it?

I mean, it's a who's who

on the driving range right now.

It's been a tumultuous season,

and those who have chosen

not to be with the PGA TOUR anymore,

I think there's a very real question mark:

"Will they ever come back

and compete in these majors

against the PGA TOUR's best ever again?"

The fairways are faster than the greens.

I've been on the tour for 15 years,

had a lot of success.

I felt like I've done enough out there

to have a legacy,

but I had an offer on the table

to be a part

of something new, something different.

Ultimately, it was LIV.

I've done five Open championships

at St Andrews.

I'm an old fart now.

I'm 46.

And what's the next ten years?

In my career, personally,

all of that is unanswerable.

Apart from the new tour coming in,

I'll still be playing golf.

I knew

this year was gonna be a little different.

I got another offer from LIV.

A lot of conversations

going on in our house when it did.

It's tough not to take care

of your family. To know that my kids' kids

and my grandkids' grandkids

are taken care of.

So, you know, now breaking away,

going with, uh going with LIV

I'm happy with the decisions I've made.

The LIV rumor mill

is still very much alive and well

here at St Andrews,

with lots of talk of who might be next.

And the name I've heard mentioned

more than once is Cameron Smith,

a man who's playing great golf lately.

On the tee, from Northern Ireland,

Rory McIlroy!

Rory, of course,

leader in the world of golf

and custodian of our game right now.

Rory!

A fan favorite wherever he goes.

Absolutely. Why not?

And we will move across

to the 18th tee

and to the one and only Tiger Woods.

- Tiger!

- Come on, Tiger!

I have gotten to know Tiger

very well over the past decade or more,

And he's one of a kind

and one of the legends of the game.

Whether or not it's the last

time we see him play competitively here

at St Andrews,

he has brought so much to the game

over the last 28 years or so.

A nice touch as well.

A tip of the cap towards Tiger

from McIlroy.

And how many people years from now

will claim to have been right there

when he finished up at 18?

There's never gonna be another

Tiger Woods in our game for many reasons.

Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!

Not just his success on the golf course,

but also the barriers

that he was able to break down.

But I think he's set a great example

for a lot of us going forward.

A very good morning to you and welcome.

The man on top of the leaderboard

going into the weekend, Cameron Smith,

who leads at 13 under par,

two-shot buffer over Cameron Young.

McIlroy and Viktor Hovland

are in there as well.

With all the LIV controversy

and all the drama it's caused,

it's hard not to look at the greens

here at St Andrews

and see it as a metaphor

for the whole PGA TOUR versus LIV story.

And at this historic major,

it feels like a dramatic stage

on which this battle is playing out.

The crowds are

very pro-Rory this week.

What on a personal level

do you like about Rory?

I've known Rory for a lot longer, I think,

than most guys, than most people

- We met when we were eight.

- Yeah.

He's always been a really

kind-hearted, kind of genuine person,

and I just think that hasn't changed.

He's opinionated,

but I would have to say I agree

with most of the things that he says.

He's I think he's great for our game.

The golfing world

is probably wanting him to win.

Rory!

Could that be the start

of Rory McIlroy's round today?

When Rory is playing at his best,

I don't know who can beat him,

but it's been eight years

since Rory McIlroy has won his last major,

and he has come very close

at multiple majors.

I don't know what to call it

except a drought.

Can he go back-to-back? Yes, he can.

It needs a soft bounce.

Awesome shot for Rory! Will he do it?

Rory McIlroy!

Can you believe the scene?

People are jumping up and down.

It's an unbelievable bunker shot!

I cannot believe what we've just seen.

Rory McIlroy just leapfrogs everybody!

Rory!

We've got a new leader at

The Open Championship, ladies and gents.

Rory McIlroy.

Boy, he seems so comfortable this week.

- Well done, Mr. McIlroy.

- Thank you.

If he would win it,

you'd look back and go,

"Yeah, makes sense."

Good morning.

The record crowds are gathering

this Sunday in Scotland

for this final major championship Sunday

and hoping to carry home

the fan and betting favorite,

Rory McIlroy.

He has said this is the one

he would love to win the most.

The support I've gotten

this week has been incredible.

It's unbelievably cool to have a chance

to win The Open at St Andrews.

I mean, it's what dreams are made of.

But nothing's given to you.

And I have to go out there and earn it,

just like I've earned everything else

in my career.

Rory!

Listen to the energy of this crowd.

This could carry Rory right through

or it could make him a nervous wreck.

Go on, Rory.

And how about this? Oh!

Oh!

Great effort from McIlroy.

When he's up by two,

maybe three at one point,

everyone's just drinking and happy.

Look at that guy over there.

He's literally biting his nails.

Like literally biting his nails.

Cam Smith to catch McIlroy.

Oh!

He's amazing.

Two-putt birdie it'll be

for Smith. That's five in a row.

And now he is the championship leader.

Just like that, Cameron Smith.

Anybody see that coming?

That's the green.

That's a makeable putt.

Never has he needed a birdie

more than right here.

Lets this one slip through his fingers.

2015 till this present day,

seven years,

I've played a ton of really good golf.

Now the final four ahead for McIlroy.

But in those seven years,

I've done everything possible in the game

apart from win a major championship.

So I feel like I'm trying

to win my first one again.

That's not the shot he was looking for.

Cameron Smith

leads by one shot.

The 17th, the most famous

hole on the entire golf course.

It all depends on the bounce.

- That's pretty impressive.

- Yes, it was.

Very well done.

This is gonna be a really tough shot.

That's pretty impressive.

- Good touch.

- Heck yeah.

Great touch.

Crucial par putt for Cam Smith.

And he's done it again!

And McIlroy will remain

at 18 under, one back of Smith.

Let's go, Rory!

All right, huge putt here for McIlroy.

And if he makes this,

this Road Hole will light up St Andrews.

He's two-putted every hole

today. Nothing's gone in for him,

and Cam Smith has run the tables on him.

So if Smith birdies

Rory needs to drive the green, maybe.

Is that gonna be the birdie

that wins the Claret Jug for Cam Smith?

Wow. He is the spoiler.

I can't believe he played like that today.

Come on, Rory!

Now Rory has

to make eagle to tie.

Go! Go!

He's gonna need to hole it out from there.

Rory!

And the scramble and the jumps

over the Swilken Burn

is gonna fill up this fairway

behind McIlroy with one last stroke

Rory! Rory! Rory!

to try to capture

this elusive major at the home of golf.

Rory! Rory!

He's gonna need magic here

to force this to a playoff.

Oh!

And that will make Cam Smith

an Open champion at St Andrews.

Now you can hug me.

How difficult

do you think it'll be to deal

with the disappointment of this one?

You know,

it's one that I feel like I let slip away,

but, you know,

there'll be other opportunities.

Completely on paper,

Rory beats everyone

ten times out of ten this week,

and he still didn't even finish second.

He got beat by two Camerons.

It must be the most confusing,

debilitating result of his career.

- Everything in the week has led to this.

- Yeah.

Rory, we love you, mate!

I think he's gonna have

a hard time getting over it for a while.

Cameron, your name

continues to be mentioned

to me this week about, uh, LIV golf.

Um, what's your position?

Are you interested?

Is there any truth to suggestions

that you might be signing?

Um, I just won the British Open,

and you're asking about that.

I think that's pretty not that good.

I appreciate that,

but the question is still there.

Are you interested at all?

Uh, I don't know, mate.

My team around me

worries about all that stuff.

I'm here to win golf tournaments.

There had been rumors

swirling all week,

and everyone in the room

takes that to mean this guy's going.

Cameron Smith leaving the PGA TOUR,

that would be different than almost anyone

that has come before him,

because other guys you could dismiss as,

"Oh, they're at the end of their career.

Or they're not really that relevant."

Cameron Smith

is clearly at the peak of his powers.

LIV Golf may have a 2022 major champion.

This is something

that demands a serious response.

He's just come back from Scotland,

and we want to have a super special day

with Rory McIlroy!

Welcome to a very special pop-up clinic.

We're here for a wonderful foundation

today, the Youth on Course,

which allows juniors to play

certain golf courses at only $5 a round.

It puts golf within the reach

of everybody.

I think what Youth on Course

are doing and their initiatives,

making golf more accessible to everyone,

especially kids,

is really important for, you know,

keep the game moving forward.

Being one of the faces of golf,

I realize the responsibility I have.

If I want the game that I love

to be sustainable

and want it to be played

by future generations,

the game needs to be pushed forward.

- Nice to meet you.

- Hey, nice to meet you.

- Are we gonna reset back?

- All right.

- What clubs do you guys have?

- Six.

I've got a six too. Good, uh

Good choice.

Okay, kids, let's go to work.

Are we ready? Here we go!

Not easy, this, by any means.

Oh!

Look at that! Keep going, kids.

Ooh! That was close, Morgan.

I think one more and we're gonna

have to officially announce

that Rory has managed

to win this contest.

Oh, Morgan!

Well done, Morgan!

Nice job.

I think

when you reach this stature,

there's a responsibility

that comes with that.

Good job.

I'll always remember

when I won the U.S. Open in 2011.

Jack Nicklaus wrote to me,

and Arnold Palmer, and they said,

"You now are in a place in the game

where you have a responsibility

to, you know, grow the game of golf

and inspire others to take this game up."

I'm happy I can play some small part

in furthering this sport and growing it.

Rory, we're going to try

to transport you to Kiawah.

- Okay.

- See anybody?

Hi.

So that's my cofounder, Rob.

He's in Austin.

Oh, sweet.

How you doing? Good to see you.

This is This is unbelievable.

I think the traditions

of the game are so good,

but I think also

the traditions of the game hold it back

from being as good as it could be,

especially in this day and age.

You can tell I've been playing in Europe.

The greens are slower.

If we want to get more people

to play the game of golf,

you need to have it more modern-facing.

Oh, big slice.

We haven't tested

that swing speed.

You need to make it interesting

for as many people as possible.

- Whoo.

- Back to the real world.

I got out of the metaverse. I'm okay.

We made it back.

When I'm done

with the game of golf,

if I can hand the game off

to the next generation

and it's better than where I found it,

then I've done a good job.

Yeah, let's Should we get

to the real stuff, Luke? You ready for it?

Last week, Tiger and Rory convened

a players-only meeting in Delaware

with about 23 of the biggest names

on the PGA TOUR.

It was more Tiger and Rory

leading the discussion, saying,

"Folks, this what we're doing.

Hop aboard."

I think the one thing

that came out of it was

all the top players on this tour

are in agreement and alignment

of where we should go going forward.

Where should you go?

I don't think

that's for a public forum right now.

I think that's between the players

and between the executives at the Tour

to try to, um,

sort of manage a way forward.

That seems to suggest

that what they're proposing here

is going to make them

stay committed to the PGA TOUR,

and in this ever-growing battle

with LIV Golf,

I think that's I think that's important.

This year the spotlight has been

on Rory McIlroy more than any other time

because of these circumstances

that we've never seen before.

He has done everything he can

to really speak to what he believes

is the right thing to do.

But I think with that passion

also comes that want

to perform on the course,

to show those guys who are choosing

not to be a part of the PGA TOUR

what they're missing

when time is running out.

For the 19th consecutive year,

East Lake Golf Club here in Atlanta

marks the end of this tour season.

The stakes are as big as they get

on the PGA TOUR this year,

with an $18 million bonus

on the line for the winner.

Will it be Scottie Scheffler?

He's won four times this year

and was number one

on the FedExCup points list.

Out on the PGA TOUR,

there's this underlying race.

And that's the race for the FedExCup.

It's a season-long competition

where finishing as high

as you possibly can on the leaderboard

is going to translate to FedExCup points.

And the ultimate goal

being playing well enough

to work your way inside the top 30

in the FedExCup standings.

And that means you've punched your ticket

to Atlanta for the TOUR Championship.

- You're gonna win this one.

- I hope so.

Because the TOUR Championship

is the culmination of the entire season,

players that have played the best

up to that point get an advantage.

It's the only staggered start in golf.

That means that Scottie Scheffler

starts with a two-stroke lead

at ten under par,

then the two seed starts at eight under,

and so on and so forth,

all the way down to even par.

I joked a few times this year when people

asked what it's like to be number one.

I was like, "You don't get any strokes,

so it doesn't mean too much,"

but this week, you know,

I actually do get some strokes, so

My philosophy is going into this event

is to treat it like a four-day event.

I'm kind of gonna ignore the leaderboard

and go out there and try to do my best.

This tournament holds more

weight, the end of a season-long race.

There's only 30 guys,

so it feels different

than when you got

a full, you know, 156-man field.

I think winning a FedExCup is

is right alongside

winning a major championship.

A major championship, you have

to play well for one week out of the year.

To win a FedExCup,

you have to play well the entire year.

Good.

You have to keep your mind

in a good spot, your body in a good spot,

to compete for the season-long race.

That is a tall order.

FedExCup has a shorter history

than some

of the other tournaments that we play.

And Rory McIlroy

is a two-time FedExCup champion.

But to share two FedExCups

with Tiger Woods,

I thought,

was a really cool accomplishment.

And just seconds away from

pulling off the most improbable comeback

in sports history.

Tiger Woods, a winner again!

But to even separate myself

from that tie and get to three

would put up that up with some of the

biggest achievements I've had in the game.

I know there's

a lot of curiosity and speculation

as to what was discussed

and what was decided

at the player-only meeting

during last week's BMW Championship.

With their commitment and input,

I'm excited to unveil

four key items today.

First, in addition to the elevated events

we announced in June,

we're planning to elevate

another four events

within the 2023 FedExCup regular season.

And they will feature an average purse

of $20 million.

The second item.

Our top players are making a commitment

to play in all 12 elevated events.

They will also add

at least three additional PGA TOUR events

to their schedules.

Third, the Player Impact Program

I would say that

because of what LIV Golf has done,

that has benefited PGA TOUR players

in a big way.

These purses that are gonna happen,

they were gonna happen at some point,

but I think that this pointed out

that players had more power

than they realized.

Rory, what do you foresee

this action doing

to further benefit the health

of the PGA TOUR starting next season?

You know, apart from the major

championships and maybe the players,

you know, the top 10 players,

top 20 players in the world

get together to play against each other

one other time during the year.

And I think what came out of the meeting

is the fact that we've all made

a commitment to get together more often

to make the product more compelling.

Rory, do you think

your commitment would've been there

if not for the threat of LIV?

Um

I don't know. I don't have a crystal ball,

but I think everyone in that room realized

this is the best way forward.

Crazy.

Crazy what the whole thing

has sort of got to.

The position

that I've sort of taken this year,

I think my message is legitimate anyway,

but I think by winning

gives it more substance,

and the FedExCup

is a really good chance for me.

I'm really happy and proud

of the way you've spoken up. Thank you.

Good luck, Rory.

Now on the first tee,

from Northern Ireland,

your 2016 and 2019 FedExCup champion.

Please welcome Rory McIlroy.

Rory going for his third FedExCup title.

Came over the top.

This is double cross towards the trees

and the fencing on the left.

Oh!

That is out-of-bounds over there.

So a reload on one tee.

This one is also left.

- What an awful way to start.

- Oh!

It was a weird day.

We teed off in a really big downpour.

I tried to guide the driver

up the fairway,

and the ball went straight left of me.

Here we go, Rory!

Not the ideal way to start.

- Oh!

- Here it'll be triple bogey.

Tough start.

At that point, I may as well

just wing it from here.

I mean, what else can I do?

Trying to rebound

after that horrendous start.

Beautiful shot. Got it to run out

and then backdoored it.

I think once you take

that weight of expectation

off of your shoulders,

you can start to play freely.

Okay.

How about his last four holes?

Played them in four under.

- Kinda Jekyll-and-Hyde day for Rory.

- Wow.

There's a lesson there

about even when you're not sure

about what you're trying to do,

sort of going full send for me

is the best way forward.

It's been a crazy beginning

to this Tour Championship for McIlroy.

At 67, despite that brutal start,

keeping himself in the conversation

for the rest of the weekend.

How's the reaction been

to your announcement yesterday?

I don't know if Jay's communicated this

to you, but about the "mandatory."

There's been a lot of blowback on that

by the guys in the room.

- Really?

- They were sort of blindsided by it.

That's sort of the gut feeling.

"We knew there were gonna be

four extra elevated events,

but we didn't know anything

about them being mandatory."

They said they can't administer it.

I said, "If I'm willing to do this,

so should you."

But I say to these guys,

"No other athletes in the world

get to choose when and where they play."

"We've all just gotten a little soft."

Getting there. Yesterday was a huge step.

- Big step.

- Yeah.

And we welcome to Atlanta.

Day two of the TOUR Championship.

Cameron Smith and Rory McIlroy set to go.

And Scottie Scheffler

is now five clear of the field.

That's beautiful.

You see a swing like that,

somebody's like, "Know what?"

No one else can swing like that.

Rory, who's obviously been

one of the faces of the PGA TOUR

and trying to keep the guys together

as the LIV Golf Series

has been out there poaching players.

And Cam Smith has been rumored

to be going there.

Seventeen are going?

Seventeen.

Absolutely brutal.

When I saw Patrick Reed went to the Asian

Tour event, I was like, "Oh my God."

And dropped spots in the world rankings.

Beautiful. Beautiful.

I had a conversation with

Cameron Smith two days after The Open.

You know,

guys that are thinking one way or another,

I would at least like people

to make a decision

that is completely informed

- Hi, Cam.

- Hi, Cam.

and basically know

this is what you may be leaving behind.

Come on, Rory.

Rory, wild day yesterday.

Steadiness today.

Fifteen pars, three birdies.

He's gonna sh**t 67 again.

A 71 for Cam,

so he and McIlroy, after spending

the first couple of days together,

will not be out in the same duo tomorrow.

Dashing through the snow ♪

In a one-horse open sleigh ♪

O'er the fields we go ♪

Laughing all the way ♪

Sorry if this is a redundant question,

but why is there Christmas music on?

Is it 'cause it's the start of college

football and it's like Christmas Day?

Is that why?

- Pretty dang close.

- Is it?

When was the last time

the Cowboys were in a Super Bowl?

- 1996.

- Twenty-six years ago.

Based on your Josh Allen post,

you're a Josh Allen fan.

And he's a PGA TOUR fan.

Yeah, but he's a Phil Mickelson fan,

so I don't know

That's true.

Sounds like this guy's losing credibility.

f*ck you, Phil!

I hope that makes it in.

I guarantee that makes it in.

Jingle bells ♪

Jingle all the way ♪

Oh, what fun it is to ride ♪

In a one-horse open sleigh ♪

Good afternoon.

And it is "Hotlanta" on this final Sunday.

Because of the showers last night,

third round

had to be finished this morning.

And Rory McIlroy, one of the 14 players

wrapping up, did what he needed to do.

Made two birdies

to finish off a round of 63

and try to put pressure

on Scottie Scheffler.

Good finish, man.

Thank you.

Yeah, I birdied three. Yeah.

Thank you.

And just like that, the lead is now five

as they head over to the 18th tee.

What's the average age on tour,

do you think?

Mid-30s, is it? Thirty-five?

When I turned pro at 18, I'm like,

"There's no way

I'm gonna play golf after 40."

Like, this week, everyone I've played with

I've been older than,

which is, like, nuts.

It's Yeah.

I sat in a press conference here in 2016

and described Tiger and Phil

as on the back nine of their careers

and got absolutely, like, roasted for it.

- And they were both in their 40s.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

And my 40 doesn't seem that far away.

There's no way I'm quitting yet.

exactly what he wanted

If this does not go in,

I am in the final group.

Birdie putt on the way for Schauffele,

as that goes under the hole

and to the right.

Rory ends up

in the last group with Scheffler.

It's been an unbelievable season.

Felt like I put a lot of work in

at the start of the year.

For it to pay off

and to be sat here as a major winner

is, uh, an unbelievable feeling.

It's a tale of two seasons.

First half, I didn't execute

the way I know I'm capable of.

But I stayed patient with myself,

put together

a really nice second half of the season.

Love you, proud of you.

Can we take a picture with you?

Going into 2022,

I was looking to try and win

multiple events.

Thank you so much.

But that's the ebbs and flows of golf.

The highs are really high,

and the lows are really low.

If you try and live somewhere, you know,

towards that top as often as you can,

you have a pretty phenomenal career.

I mean, I know

it's so clichéd, it's so obvious,

but the best piece of advice my dad

gave me is just to keep playing golf.

Anything can happen on a Sunday.

And really just control the things

that you can control.

Tiger's Tiger, but how important

is Rory's voice to the younger generation?

It's very important. I mean, he's

the second-biggest star we have out here.

It's not like he was given that title.

He's done that with really,

really good golf and great work

and time with the fans.

And he does everything you're supposed

to do be in the position he's in.

On the first tee,

from Holywood, Northern Ireland,

please welcome Rory McIlroy!

With $18 million on the line,

is it any wonder they both came out

in green today?

This is 8-iron.

Starting well to the right

and not turning over.

This is not the miss he's looking for

on the first hole.

Wow. Oh boy.

Right of the gallery rope.

Oh.

Well, it hasn't been

a good start for Rory.

It doesn't matter how many times

you've been there, you cannot escape

the pressure of being in the hunt

on Sunday afternoon

Make it three, Rory.

'cause there is nothing on this planet

these guys want more

than to get it done.

There we go.

McIlroy walks one in.

He's not afraid

to walk through the door.

He has a great record

of catching people from behind.

Scheffler started the day

with a six-shot lead.

Three bogeys,

and all of a sudden it is down to one.

Stress kind of kicks in,

then it's, "You gotta calm down.

We got more holes to play."

Now Rory McIlroy.

Oh!

Oh!

Did you think in your wildest imagination

that after he bogeyed the first hole

that at the seventh hole he'd be tied?

Five years

since that final group with Tiger.

- That was wild, walking up the last.

- It was scary.

You could've been trampled.

Get in the hole!

Oh! McIlroy's done it!

McIlroy answers the call

and lights up the crowd at 15.

Rory! Rory!

Rory! Rory! Rory! Rory!

Sounded pretty clean.

It's right at it. May need to get down.

Oh my gosh.

You get to that point

of now you've tied the golf tournament up.

Adrenaline, maybe?

I don't know. That went a mile.

All of a sudden,

I'm playing with more tightness.

I'm playing with a little more thought.

Caught on right on that downslope.

Wow!

A lot of people

just came out of their chair.

Including you.

Scottie Scheffler

just inside of nine feet here for par.

Once the pressure starts building

and you have the finish line in sight

and you start thinking about the trophy

and about the paycheck,

that's when you really have to prove

that you can handle it. Not everyone can.

- It's come to the left.

- No.

A terrible hole for Scottie.

Go, Rory!

For the very first time,

somebody other than Scottie Scheffler

has the outright lead

in the Tour Championship.

Rory! Rory!

Whoa!

That's very nicely done.

Rory! Rory! Rory! Rory!

Get in the hole! Oh!

Oh!

Scheffler now with a chance to tie.

In the hole!

Oh!

His putter has betrayed him

here in these last two holes.

Yep, he's just not seeing it.

McIlroy

with a one-shot cushion over Scheffler.

Scottie Scheffler has tried

to play a conservative round today,

and, uh, it backfired on him a little bit.

- I got this.

- Perfect.

Come on, Scottie!

Oh, this is going right.

It's probably in the bunker.

Oh!

Rory!

This next shot by Rory McIlroy

could end up

slamming the door shut on Scheffler.

It's not good. It's really low over there.

Oh man!

He's left himself

one of the most difficult

up and ends on the whole property.

Doesn't matter

how big your lead is.

It's important to never get complacent.

Anything is possible.

He's gotta make up a shot

on Rory here. One back.

Oh, he's carried it too far.

- No, no.

- This is a big-time mistake.

When you put This is 11.5 million

It's yours, Rory! Take it!

What a shame.

What a shame.

Perfect.

That's what he needed to do.

I was just trying

to keep my nose ahead of Scottie

and just try to react

to anything that he did.

Oh!

The best

that Scheffler can do is make a five.

Come on, Rory!

Go, Rory!

Eighteen million dollars.

Second place, six and a half million.

Get in the hole!

And that is gonna do it.

What a win.

You know, it's not easy.

He was behind by six starting the day.

The stars way up ♪

But when Scheffler

started struggling, Rory was ready.

He kept making the pressure putts.

Forgive me if I sit and stare ♪

- Now look.

- Beginning It's sinking in.

Had to be there ♪

You just had to be there ♪

Heartbreaker for him today.

No doubt about it.

You won't face the days

Like we had done ♪

And in an extraordinary PGA TOUR season,

it is Rory McIlroy

that wins a third FedExCup title!

You had to be there ♪

You just had to be there ♪

Take care. Great year.

It was a pleasure.

- f*ck, we did it.

- I can't forget the days ♪

That we had ♪

Rory! Rory! Rory!

I care deeply about our sport.

I care about its history.

I care about its legacy.

I care about the integrity of the game.

You had to be there ♪

And there's a lot of players

out here that share those same views.

You just had to be there ♪

I feel like Scottie deserves

at least half of this today.

I'm so proud of you. I love you.

He has had

an unbelievable season.

He's a hell of a competitor.

He's an even better guy.

It was an honor and a privilege

to battle with him today.

And I'm sure we'll have many more.

You f*cking deserved every bit of that.

The entire world knows why you're

number one player in the world.

It's doesn't quite get there ♪

But the morning's washed away ♪

Anything

That we've been going through ♪

Golf is an individual sport.

There's never been a need for a captain

in a locker room until this year.

When you talk about loyalty,

when you talk about commitment,

when you talk about leadership,

this man exemplifies that.

Let's have a toast

to the 2022 FedExCup champion,

Rory McIlroy.

Whoo!

Oh!

- What have we got?

- What do you want?

I'll take a glass

of whatever that red is.

It's been a weird year.

I never thought

that I'd be in this position.

I guess, for me, like, I have to remember

the reason that I'm in this position

is because I win golf tournaments.

I can't predict the days ♪

And that's still

the most important thing.

Of that bright glimmer ♪

Then we left the room in time ♪

From when we lived without a care ♪

He's always the first. Always.

Tiger.

Like, he'll text you, like,

before the last putt drops.

Always the first.

He's unreal.

Yeah.

Got a busy day on my phone tomorrow.

Back to Northern Ireland.

Pretty sweet, though.