[boat horn blares]
[man] How do you go about introducing your kid to golf? It's a bit different.
Poppy turned to me... [laughs]
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...
[laughing]
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.
[announcer] 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.
[thunder rumbles]
[Dethier] 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.
[Foley] Rory is a unicorn.
[announcer] Look at that! That is just awesome.
[Foley] 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.
[crowd chanting] Rory!
[man] What do you see the endgame here? Because this isn't good for golf.
[McIlroy] No, it's not. I've been an advocate
of trying to make it more cohesive.
And this is, you know, ripping that apart.
[Renner] The thing about being outspoken on the PGA TOUR
is you kind of have to back it up.
[Dethier] 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.
[pensive music playing]
[announcer] 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.
[cheering and applause]
- [man] I could roll this... - You can't hit higher than 215 feet.
Listen, when I start playing, the bugs will put their helmets on.
[laughing]
Let me wave to all my drunk friends over here, okay?
[laughing]
St Andrews is one of my favorite golf courses in the world.
It's the Holy Grail of our sport.
[cheering and applause]
[announcer] In terms of a popularity contest,
Rory's always right at the top.
[man] Let's go, Rory!
[announcer] The feeling here, though, this is his for the taking.
[announcer 2] 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?
[laughing]
- [man] Me? - [Trevino] 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.
[laughs]
How are they gonna remember? They weren't even born yet.
That's why we're showing them. So they can...
- [Nicklaus] He wasn't born yet for sure. - [Trevino] Who?
His daddy wasn't even born then. [chuckles]
[McIlroy] 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.
- [woman] Jack, over here! - [man] Look this way, please.
[McIlroy] 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.
[applause]
[McIlroy] 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.
- [indistinct talking on TV] - Come. Let's play.
[McIlroy] 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.
[dad] Come on, big swing. Big swing.
[McIlroy] 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.
[announcer] There it is!
- A win for the ages! - [cheering]
[McIlroy] And he still is, you know, my hero.
[cheering and applause]
[McIlroy] 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.
[cheering and applause]
[Renner] 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.
[Foley] 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.
[McIlroy] I'm pretty sure I was a pretty cocky and arrogant kid.
I would tell anyone that'd listen I was gonna be the best golfer in the world.
[Foley] He went from a chubby kid who hit the ball far
to really a specimen in not much time.
[announcer] What a marvelous performance. This kid will be around for a long time.
[Foley] What initially looked like a Ford, under the hood had a Lamborghini engine.
[announcer 2] An unreal performance from Rory McIlroy.
[Foley] I mean, he wins four majors out the gate pretty quick.
[announcer 3] A runaway champion by eight shots.
[Foley] And then it went from there.
[announcer 4] And the champion golfer of the year is Rory McIlroy.
[cheering]
[Foley] 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.
[Renner] 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.
[Poulter] 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.
[Koepka] 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.
[cheering and applause]
[announcer] 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.
[pensive music playing]
[announcer 2] On the tee, from Northern Ireland,
Rory McIlroy!
[cheering and applause]
[announcer 3] Rory, of course, leader in the world of golf
and custodian of our game right now.
[cheering and applause]
[crowd chanting] Rory!
[announcer 4] A fan favorite wherever he goes.
[announcer 3] Absolutely. Why not?
And we will move across
to the 18th tee and to the one and only Tiger Woods.
- Tiger! - Come on, Tiger!
[McIlroy] 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.
[cheering and applause]
[announcer 3] 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.
[cheering and applause]
[announcer 3] A nice touch as well.
A tip of the cap towards Tiger from McIlroy.
[announcer 5] And how many people years from now
will claim to have been right there
when he finished up at 18?
[cheering]
[McIlroy] There's never gonna be another Tiger Woods in our game for many reasons.
[boy] Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!
[McIlroy] 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.
[announcer] 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.
[announcer 2] 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.
[reporter] 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. - [reporter] Yeah.
[Finau] 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.
[chanting] Rory!
[suspenseful music playing]
[announcer 3] Could that be the start of Rory McIlroy's round today?
[Renner] 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.
[announcer 3] Can he go back-to-back? Yes, he can.
[cheering and applause]
[tense music playing]
[announcer 4] It needs a soft bounce.
Awesome shot for Rory! Will he do it?
[cheering]
[announcer 4] 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!
[crowd chanting] Rory!
[announcer 4] We've got a new leader at The Open Championship, ladies and gents.
[announcer 5] Rory McIlroy.
Boy, he seems so comfortable this week.
- [man] Well done, Mr. McIlroy. - Thank you.
[announcer 5] If he would win it, you'd look back and go,
"Yeah, makes sense."
[announcer] 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.
[McIlroy] 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.
[crowd chanting] Rory!
[announcer] Listen to the energy of this crowd.
This could carry Rory right through or it could make him a nervous wreck.
[man] Go on, Rory.
[announcer 2] And how about this? Oh!
[crowd] Oh!
[announcer] 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.
[announcer] Cam Smith to catch McIlroy.
[indistinct shouting from crowd]
[pensive music playing]
[crowd] Oh!
[announcer 2] He's amazing.
[announcer] Two-putt birdie it'll be for Smith. That's five in a row.
[announcer 2] And now he is the championship leader.
Just like that, Cameron Smith. Anybody see that coming?
[O'Flaherty] That's the green. That's a makeable putt.
[announcer 3] Never has he needed a birdie more than right here.
Lets this one slip through his fingers.
[McIlroy] 2015 till this present day, seven years,
I've played a ton of really good golf.
[announcer] Now the final four ahead for McIlroy.
[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.
[announcer 4] That's not the shot he was looking for.
Cameron Smith
leads by one shot.
[announcer 3] The 17th, the most famous hole on the entire golf course.
It all depends on the bounce.
-That's pretty impressive. - [announcer] Yes, it was.
Very well done.
[announcer 2] This is gonna be a really tough shot.
[applause]
[announcer] That's pretty impressive.
- [announcer 2] Good touch. - Heck yeah.
Great touch.
Crucial par putt for Cam Smith.
- And he's done it again! - [cheering]
[announcer] And McIlroy will remain at 18 under, one back of Smith.
[man] Let's go, Rory!
[announcer 2] All right, huge putt here for McIlroy.
[announcer] And if he makes this,
this Road Hole will light up St Andrews.
[indistinct shouting from crowd]
[announcer 2] He's two-putted every hole today. Nothing's gone in for him,
and Cam Smith has run the tables on him.
[O'Faherty] So if Smith birdies...
Rory needs to drive the green, maybe.
[announcer] Is that gonna be the birdie that wins the Claret Jug for Cam Smith?
[announcer 2] Wow. He is the spoiler.
I can't believe he played like that today.
[man] Come on, Rory!
[announcer] Now Rory has to make eagle to tie.
[cheering]
Go! Go!
[announcer] He's gonna need to hole it out from there.
[cheering]
[crowd chanting] Rory!
[announcer] And the scramble and the jumps over the Swilken Burn
is gonna fill up this fairway behind McIlroy with one last stroke...
[crowd chanting] Rory! Rory! Rory!
...to try to capture this elusive major at the home of golf.
[crowd continues] Rory! Rory!
[dramatic music playing]
[announcer] He's gonna need magic here
to force this to a playoff.
[crowd] Oh!
[applause]
[announcer] And that will make Cam Smith an Open champion at St Andrews.
- Now you can hug me. - [laughing]
[applause]
[reporter] How difficult do you think it'll be to deal
with the disappointment of this one?
[McIlroy] You know, it's one that I feel like I let slip away,
but, you know, there'll be other opportunities.
[announcer] 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. - [announcer 2] Yeah.
[man] Rory, we love you, mate!
[announcer] I think he's gonna have a hard time getting over it for a while.
[reporter] 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.
[Dethier] There had been rumors swirling all week,
and everyone in the room takes that to mean this guy's going.
[cheering]
[Dethier] 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.
[man] He's just come back from Scotland,
and we want to have a super special day
with Rory McIlroy!
[cheering]
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.
[McIlroy] 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.
[McIlroy] 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.
- [Hall] Are we gonna reset back? - [McIlroy] All right.
- What clubs do you guys have? - [boy] Six.
I've got a six too. Good, uh... Good choice.
[Hall] 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! - [cheering]
[Hall] Well done, Morgan!
- Nice job. - [chuckles]
[McIlroy] 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.
[man] Rory, we're going to try to transport you to Kiawah.
- Okay. - See anybody?
Hi. [chuckles]
[Engle] So that's my cofounder, Rob. He's in Austin.
[McIlroy] Oh, sweet.
How you doing? Good to see you.
This is... This is unbelievable.
[McIlroy] 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.
[laughing]
[McIlroy] If we want to get more people to play the game of golf,
you need to have it more modern-facing.
Oh, big slice.
[Engle] We haven't tested that swing speed.
[laughing]
You need to make it interesting for as many people as possible.
- Whoo. - [Engle] Back to the real world.
- [laughing] - I got out of the metaverse. I'm okay.
[Engle] We made it back.
[McIlroy] 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.
[contemplative music playing]
[announcer] 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."
[McIlroy] 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.
[reporter] 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.
[announcer] 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.
[Renner] 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.
[announcer] 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.
[Renner] 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.
[Dethier] 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.
[Scheffler] 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.
[McIlroy] 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.
[man] Good.
[McIlroy] 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.
[cheering]
[McIlroy] FedExCup has a shorter history
than some of the other tournaments that we play.
[announcer] And Rory McIlroy is a two-time FedExCup champion.
[McIlroy] But to share two FedExCups with Tiger Woods,
I thought, was a really cool accomplishment.
[announcer 2] And just seconds away from pulling off the most improbable comeback
in sports history.
[announcer 3] Tiger Woods, a winner again!
[McIlroy] 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.
[Monahan] 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...
[Foley] 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.
[reporter] Rory, what do you foresee this action doing
to further benefit the health of the PGA TOUR starting next season?
[McIlroy] 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.
[reporter 2] 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.
[McIlroy] Crazy.
Crazy what the whole thing has sort of got to.
[McIlroy] 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.
[announcer] Now on the first tee, from Northern Ireland,
your 2016 and 2019 FedExCup champion.
Please welcome Rory McIlroy.
[cheering and applause]
[announcer 2] Rory going for his third FedExCup title.
[announcer 3] Came over the top. This is double cross towards the trees
and the fencing on the left.
[crowd] Oh!
[announcer 2] That is out-of-bounds over there.
So a reload on one tee.
[announcer 3] This one is also left.
- [announcer 2] What an awful way to start. - [crowd] Oh!
[McIlroy] 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.
[man] Here we go, Rory!
[McIlroy] Not the ideal way to start.
[dramatic music playing]
- [crowd] Oh! - [announcer 2] Here it'll be triple bogey.
Tough start.
[McIlroy] At that point, I may as well just wing it from here.
I mean, what else can I do?
[announcer 2] Trying to rebound after that horrendous start.
Beautiful shot. Got it to run out and then backdoored it.
[McIlroy] I think once you take that weight of expectation
off of your shoulders,
you can start to play freely.
[announcer 2] Okay.
How about his last four holes? Played them in four under.
[cheering]
- Kinda Jekyll-and-Hyde day for Rory. - [announcer 3] Wow.
[McIlroy] 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.
[announcer 2] 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.
- [man] 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.
- [Pazder] Big step. - Yeah.
[announcer] 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.
[man] That's beautiful.
You see a swing like that, somebody's like, "Know what?"
[Rick Ross] No one else can swing like that.
[announcer] 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.
[O'Flaherty] 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.
[McIlroy] 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...
- [man] Hi, Cam. - [woman] Hi, Cam.
[McIlroy] ...and basically know this is what you may be leaving behind.
[man] Come on, Rory.
[announcer] Rory, wild day yesterday.
Steadiness today.
Fifteen pars, three birdies.
He's gonna shoot 67 again.
[cheering]
[announcer] 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.
[upbeat music playing]
♪ Dashing through the snow ♪
♪ In a one-horse open sleigh ♪
♪ O'er the fields we go ♪
♪ Laughing all the way... ♪
[indistinct chatter]
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. - [McIlroy] Is it?
When was the last time the Cowboys were in a Super Bowl?
- [man] 1996. - [man 2] Twenty-six years ago.
Based on your Josh Allen post, you're a Josh Allen fan.
[man 3] And he's a PGA TOUR fan.
Yeah, but he's a Phil Mickelson fan, so I don't know...
[man 3] That's true. Sounds like this guy's losing credibility.
[laughing]
Fuck you, Phil!
[laughing]
[McIlroy] I hope that makes it in.
[man 3] 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 ♪
[cheering]
[announcer] 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.
[man] Good finish, man.
Thank you.
[indistinct chatter]
Yeah, I birdied three. Yeah.
Thank you.
[announcer] 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?
[McIlroy] 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.
[laughing]
- And they were both in their 40s. - [Rahm] Yeah.
[Morikawa] Yeah.
And my 40 doesn't seem that far away.
There's no way I'm quitting yet.
[announcer] ...exactly what he wanted...
[McIlroy] If this does not go in, I am in the final group.
[announcer] Birdie putt on the way for Schauffele,
as that goes under the hole and to the right.
[applause on TV]
[announcer] Rory ends up in the last group with Scheffler.
[Fitzpatrick] It's been an unbelievable season.
Felt like I put a lot of work in at the start of the year.
[laughing]
[Fitzpatrick] For it to pay off and to be sat here as a major winner
is, uh, an unbelievable feeling.
[cheering and applause]
[Finau] 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.
[woman] Love you, proud of you.
Can we take a picture with you?
[Spieth] Going into 2022,
I was looking to try and win multiple events.
Thank you so much.
[Spieth] 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.
[Thomas] 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.
[cheering and applause]
[announcer] On the first tee, from Holywood, Northern Ireland,
please welcome Rory McIlroy!
[cheering]
[announcer 2] 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.
[announcer] Wow. Oh boy.
[announcer 3] Right of the gallery rope.
[crowd] Oh.
[announcer] 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...
[man] Make it three, Rory.
...'cause there is nothing on this planet these guys want more
than to get it done.
[spectators murmuring]
[announcer] There we go. McIlroy walks one in.
[announcer 2] He's not afraid to walk through the door.
He has a great record of catching people from behind.
[announcer] Scheffler started the day with a six-shot lead.
Three bogeys,
and all of a sudden it is down to one.
[Scheffler] Stress kind of kicks in,
then it's, "You gotta calm down. We got more holes to play."
[announcer] Now Rory McIlroy.
[man] Oh!
Oh!
[cheering]
[announcer] Did you think in your wildest imagination
that after he bogeyed the first hole
that at the seventh hole he'd be tied?
[McIlroy] Five years since that final group with Tiger.
- That was wild, walking up the last. - It was scary.
You could've been trampled.
[suspenseful music playing]
[man] Get in the hole!
[crowd clamoring]
- [cheering] - [announcer] Oh! McIlroy's done it!
McIlroy answers the call
and lights up the crowd at 15.
[crowd chanting] Rory! Rory!
Rory! Rory! Rory! Rory!
[announcer 2] Sounded pretty clean. It's right at it. May need to get down.
[announcer] Oh my gosh.
[McIlroy] You get to that point of now you've tied the golf tournament up.
[announcer] Adrenaline, maybe?
[chuckles] I don't know. That went a mile.
[McIlroy] All of a sudden, I'm playing with more tightness.
I'm playing with a little more thought.
[clamoring]
[announcer 2] Caught on right on that downslope.
- [clamoring] - [announcer 2] Wow!
[announcer] A lot of people just came out of their chair.
- [announcer 2] Including you. - [announcer laughs]
[announcer 3] Scottie Scheffler just inside of nine feet here for par.
[Rapaport] 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.
- [announcer] It's come to the left. - [announcer 2] No.
A terrible hole for Scottie.
- [man] Go, Rory! - [cheering]
[announcer] For the very first time, somebody other than Scottie Scheffler
has the outright lead in the Tour Championship.
[crowd chanting] Rory! Rory!
[man yells indistinctly]
- [whistling] - [man] Whoa!
[announcer] That's very nicely done.
[crowd chanting] Rory! Rory! Rory! Rory!
[man] Get in the hole! Oh!
[crowd] Oh!
[announcer] Scheffler now with a chance to tie.
[man] In the hole!
[crowd] Oh!
[announcer] His putter has betrayed him here in these last two holes.
[announcer 2] Yep, he's just not seeing it.
[indistinct chatter]
[announcer] McIlroy with a one-shot cushion over Scheffler.
[announcer 2] Scottie Scheffler has tried to play a conservative round today,
and, uh, it backfired on him a little bit.
- I got this. - [caddy] Perfect.
[man] Come on, Scottie!
[announcer] Oh, this is going right.
It's probably in the bunker.
[crowd] Oh!
[crowd chanting] Rory!
[announcer] 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.
[announcer 2] Oh man!
He's left himself one of the most difficult
up and ends on the whole property.
[McIlroy] Doesn't matter how big your lead is.
It's important to never get complacent. Anything is possible.
[announcer] He's gotta make up a shot on Rory here. One back.
[announcer 2] Oh, he's carried it too far.
- No, no. - [announcer] This is a big-time mistake.
When you put... This is 11.5 million...
[man] It's yours, Rory! Take it!
[announcer 2] What a shame.
What a shame.
[announcer] Perfect. That's what he needed to do.
[McIlroy] I was just trying to keep my nose ahead of Scottie
and just try to react to anything that he did.
[man] Oh!
[announcer] The best that Scheffler can do is make a five.
[man 2] Come on, Rory!
[man 3] Go, Rory!
[applause]
[announcer] Eighteen million dollars.
Second place, six and a half million.
[man 4] Get in the hole!
[clamoring]
[announcer] And that is gonna do it.
[applause]
[announcer 2] What a win.
You know, it's not easy.
He was behind by six starting the day.
♪ The stars way up... ♪
[announcer 2] But when Scheffler started struggling, Rory was ready.
He kept making the pressure putts.
♪ Forgive me if I sit and stare... ♪
- [announcer 2] Now look. - [announcer] Beginning... It's sinking in.
♪ Had to be there ♪
♪ You just had to be there ♪
[cheering and applause]
[announcer 2] Heartbreaker for him today. No doubt about it.
♪ You won't face the days Like we had done ♪
[announcer] And in an extraordinary PGA TOUR season,
it is Rory McIlroy that wins a third FedExCup title!
[cheering and applause]
♪ You had to be there ♪
♪ You just had to be there... ♪
Take care. Great year.
It was a pleasure.
- Fuck, we did it. - ♪ I can't forget the days ♪
♪ That we had... ♪
[chanting] Rory! Rory! Rory!
[McIlroy] 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 ♪
[McIlroy] And there's a lot of players out here that share those same views.
♪ You just had to be there... ♪
[cheering and applause]
[McIlroy] I feel like Scottie deserves at least half of this today.
[man] I'm so proud of you. I love you.
[McIlroy] 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 fucking 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... ♪
[Renner] 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.
[cheering]
Whoo!
Oh!
[laughing]
- [McIlroy] What have we got? - What do you want?
[McIlroy] I'll take a glass of whatever that red is.
[McIlroy] 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... ♪
[McIlroy] 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.
[man chuckles]
Pretty sweet, though.
[upbeat music playing]