ATLANTA – Among the various motivations Rory McIlroy had Sunday at the Tour Championship – the most compelling being the $15 million bonus for winning the FedExCup – was the race for the season’s lowest scoring average.
McIlroy led the Tour in adjusted scoring average through The Northern Trust but was overtaken by Patrick Cantlay at last week’s BMW Championship.
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“I wanted to win. I 100-percent knew that coming in this week, and I wanted to end the season with the No. 1 stroke average,” said McIlroy, who won the FedExCup for the second time Sunday at East Lake. “There’s just little motivating factors that don’t have to be about the tournament, but keep you where you need to be.”
McIlroy finished with rounds of 66-67-68-66 and unseated Cantlay in the scoring average race with a 69.05 average, clinching the Vardon Trophy for the first time since 2014 and the third time in his career.