Rory McIlroy

The Holywood native finished on 18-under-par to top the world rankings for the ninth time in his career.

Listen to Behind the Lines podcast. The Holywood native savoured his 23rd win on the PGA Tour, finishing on 17-under-par after two bogeys on 17 and 18 to edge one clear of Kurt Kitayama in second place and overtake American Scottie Scheffler at the top of the rankings. Offaly’s Shane Lowry ended the weekend on six-under-par for a share of 23rd, while Séamus Power hit a disappointing three-over to end even par.

Rory McIlroy's final round at the CJ Cup is underway at South Carolina. He goes in search of his fourth ranking tournament of the season. The reigning champion ...

In the Dublin Senior Hurling Final, Kilmacud Crokes were down to 14 men for the closing minutes against Na Fianna, but nonetheless triumphed 0-20 0-17 to claim the title. Newcastle held off Spurs to emerge 2-1 victors in their Premier League clash in London. Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson provided the goals for the Toon. Rory McIlroy’s final round at the CJ Cup is underway at South Carolina. In football, the Glen were victorious over Slaughtneil in the Derry senior championhsip for the second year in a row on a score-line of 1-12 to 7 points. [pole position for the United States Grand Prix,](https://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/carlos-sainz-claims-pole-in-united-states-after-edging-team-mate-charles-leclerc-1381516.html) but was out of the race in a matter of seconds after his car spun out in the first lap.

McIlroy can return to the top of the rankings for the first time since July 2020 by winning his 23rd PGA Tour event at the tournament which has been moved from ...

Tommy Fleetwood of England shot a second straight 66 to be eight under, with his compatriot Tyrrell Hatton and Irishman Shane Lowry another stroke behind followed by reigning US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick at six under. “Focusing on that, hope that that ends up with a couple of things, a trophy and getting back to the top of the world rankings.” The 33-year-old was ahead by one stroke at the Congaree Golf Club in South Carolina after eagling twice, and carding trios of birdies and bogeys, en route to a second straight 67.

After firing a four-under-par round of 67, the 33-year-old sits one shot clear of K.H. Lee, Kurt Kitayama and fellow Ryder Cup teammate, Jon Rahm. However, ...

In the process, he actually [broke one of Tiger Woods' records](https://www.golfmonthly.com/news/scheffler-breaks-tiger-woods-world-no1-record), with Scheffler claiming the accolade of fewest days between securing a first PGA Tour title and reaching the World No.1 spot. He went on to add "it's been two years and a bunch of stuff has happened, so I think that thinking back along it will be -- it mightn't have the excitement that 2012 did, but it will have as much, if not more, meaning because of everything that I've sort of went through over the last couple years. "Tomorrow I need to go out there, sort of set myself a score that I want to shoot, try to do that. [Congaree Golf Club](https://www.golfmonthly.com/travel/usa/how-can-i-play-congaree) in South Carolina and, if the four-time Major winner were to triumph, Scheffler would need to finish solo second or in a two-way tie for second. First achieving the World No.1 feat in 2012, McIlroy has held the top spot for 106 weeks, with the Northern Irishman explaining that: "It's been a long journey from when I was No. [Jon Rahm](https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/the-game/things-you-didnt-know-about-jon-rahm-162442).

Rory McIlroy has a goal of winning the PGA Tour's CJ Cup in SC knowing that a victory would put him No. 1 in the world rankings.

“Look, over the last 50 years, there’s only been one other player to come out and win twice before his 21st birthday, so he’s made a really good start.” McIlroy said. “I think as he gets a little older and maybe a touch stronger, he’ll get (swing speed and more distance) naturally. And if a play took place near the ropes, fans could eavesdrop on a player talking over possibilities with his caddie. “But I started to keep going down that path a little too much and then ... “He was sort of picking my brain out there about speed training,” McIlroy said. Rory McIlroy went to the first tee Sunday with a goal of winning the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup in South Carolina knowing that a victory would put him No. Then, he had skidded from first in July 2020 to 15th in the world rankings in September 2021. “I sort of went down a path that I realized wasn’t for me,” he said. Yes, he is. So, I started down a different path.” I was like, ‘Do not go down that path. He did.

Victory in South Carolina sees Ulster man sit at top of world rankings for first time since July 2020.

On the closing hole, a drive down the left bounced kindly and his approach from 153 yards found the front of the green. With Kurt Kitayama his main challenger on the homeward run, McIlroy recovered the outright lead with a brilliant birdie two on the Par 3 14th where he hit his tee-shot to 13 feet. Then, the Northern Irishman showed his powers of recovery, playing a recovery from the penalty area on the Par 3 fifth hole and sinking a six-footer to save par.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy produced a final round of 67 to secure victory at the CJ Cup and regain the tag of world number one.

I'm looking forward to celebrating with my team tonight and the next couple of weeks because I think it's a big achievement. Asked what returning to number one in the world meant to him, McIlroy told Sky Sports: "It means a lot. "I absolutely love the game of golf.

Rory McIlroy will reclaim the world's top ranking after he won the CJ Cup, in South Carolina, Sunday to open his 2022-23 PGA Tour season.

1 again this week](https://golf.com/news/rory-mcilroy-top-ranked-golfer/), McIlroy needed to win and for [Scottie Scheffler](https://golf.com/tag/scottie-scheffler/) to finish worse than a one-way tie for second, or to finish solo second and for Scheffler to finish worse than 34th alone. This is a modal window. Kitayama finished second at 16 under for his third runner-up finish in the past year on the PGA Tour. “I think the birdie on 14 was the real turning point for me,” McIlroy said. McIlroy made 21 birdies for the week, including seven on Sunday, for his fourth win in the past 12 months. Lee in a tie for second, one stroke behind McIlroy, claimed the lead alone early on the front nine but failed to mount much of a charge on the back nine. He led the field both in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and driving distance at nearly 350 yards a pop. McIlroy took care of business himself while Scheffler, who McIlroy took down to win the FedEx Cup two months ago, finished in a tie for 45th. This is the second time McIlroy has successfully defended a title on Tour; he won the RBC Candian Open this past season and the previous playing of it in 2019. You know, I’ve worked so hard over the last 12 months to get myself back to this to this place. [CJ Cup](https://golf.com/tag/cj-cup/), in South Carolina, defeating Kurt Kitayama by one stroke. Now, he has the title to back it up.

Rory McIlroy claimed a two-shot victory at the CJ Cup in South Carolina and with that, has become the world number one for a ninth time.

It's an awesome way to start the season, I guess, and obviously just a continuation of how I feel like I've been playing over the last few months." I'm looking forward to celebrating with my team tonight and the next couple of weeks because I think it's a big achievement. Shane Lowry finished in joint 23rd place after a disappointing final round of 72 saw him finish on -6 for the tournament. McIlroy said: "I think the birdie on 14 was the real turning point, for me. "I absolutely love the game of golf. "I've worked so hard over the last 12 months to get myself back to this place.

The 33-year-old carded a final-day 67 which included seven birdies to see off the challenge of America's Kurt Kitayama by a single shot despite bogeying the ...

It’s an awesome way to start the season, I guess, and obviously just a continuation of how I feel like I’ve been playing over the last few months.” I’m really proud of myself right now and I want to go and enjoy this.” I’m looking forward to celebrating with my team tonight and the next couple of weeks because I think it’s a big achievement.

Rory McIlroy is back at the summit of golf, as his successful defence of the CJ Cup has seen him ascend to the world No. 1 ranking.

“To make two there felt I picked up at least a shot and a half on the field. He produced the best drive of the day to find the green. A surprise bogey on 17 saw him step on the 18th tee with a two-shot cushion. That advantage was extended to two shots on the 15th. McIlroy’s golf has been other-worldly for months, but he proved he is human with a three-putt bogey on the eighth. McIlroy’s misses off the tee this week have been quick hooks, and he leaked two that way on 11 and 12. "It feels great to go out there with the lead, shoot a great score and get the win,” McIlroy said. Kitayama’s approach play was a little scruffy, in contrast to McIlroy. A three-putt bogey had steam coming out of Rahm’s ears, with his mistake compounded by McIlroy rolling in his third birdie of the round. They were tied for the lead on the sixth tee. "I feel like I am enjoying the game as much as I ever have. The Northern Irishman - who first got to world No.

Rory McIlroy will move back to world No 1 for the first time since 2020 after completing an impressive title defence at the CJ Cup in South Carolina.

Kitayama's runner-up finish equalled the best performance of his PGA Tour career so far, while Lee's blemish-free 68 saw him hold on to third place. "I've worked so hard over the last 12 months to get myself back to this place," McIlroy added. "It's an awesome way to start the season, I guess, and obviously just a continuation of how I feel like I've been playing over the last few months."

Rory McIlroy won THE CJ CUP in South Carolina and successfully defended his title. Here's a look inside his bag.

5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (19 degrees) 3-wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Titanium (15 degrees) Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (9 degrees)

It's the ninth time Rory McIlroy has reached No. 1 in the world, behind only Tiger Woods and Greg Norman (both 11) for most ever.

The real threat was Kitayama, three times a winner while playing in Asia and Europe. Rahm, coming off a win at the Spanish Open, tied McIlroy on three occasions early while playing in the group in front of him. "That's a tough group of guys to beat," Kitayama said. McIlroy was staked to a 1-shot lead going into the final round and never trailed, though he didn't have it easy until he walked toward the 18th green, and even that made him sweat. He wanted the trophy, and it was harder work than he imagined. Scheffler finished in the middle of the pack at Congaree, meaning McIlroy could have been runner-up and still reclaimed the No. the birdie on 14 was big," McIlroy said. The South Korea-based tournament was held in Las Vegas last year, when McIlroy was No. "This tournament last year was the start of me trying to build myself back up to this point," McIlroy said. I just think about everyone that's made a difference in my life, not over the last 12 months, but ever." All that mattered Sunday was winning the CJ Cup in South Carolina, and that about made him cry. "And it's not just me, it's everyone that's a part of my team.

Six months and three weeks prior to winning the CJ Cup on Sunday to take his place again as the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world, the four-time major winner ...

In late August, with rumors swirling that a raft of PGA Tour players were about to sign with LIV, McIlroy won his third FedEx Cup title at East Lake and declared the PGA Tour “the best place to play golf.” This week, McIlroy ensured that he will be spoken and written about as World No. This is now the ninth time that McIlroy sits atop the World Ranking, a milestone he first achieved after winning the Honda Classic in 2012. It’s really cool to be on this journey with other people that you want to be on the journey with.” So what’s different about this trip back to the top of the golf world? And it put him back as the best player in the world for the first time since July 2020. The emergence of LIV Golf has created a bitter divide in men’s professional golf with the rival circuit poaching a host of PGA Tour stars including World No. A week after Valero, McIlroy holed a 72nd-hole bunker shot at Augusta National for a 64 and a career-best second place at the Masters. He also dropped to 16th in the world. A final-round 67 included four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine that allowed McIlroy to bogey the final two holes and still win by one over Kurt Kitayama with a 17-under 267 total. Six months and three weeks prior to winning the CJ Cup on Sunday to take his place again as the No. “I guess there was some party on Friday night [in the hotel], and I was feeling pretty bad,” McIlroy recalled on Sunday at Congaree Golf Club. Rory McIlroy’s climb back to the top of the golf world began with an empty stomach.

The four-time major winner has played the most consistent golf of his career by far over the last year.

I’m really proud of myself right now and I want to go and enjoy this.” I’m looking forward to celebrating with my team tonight and the next couple of weeks because I think it’s a big achievement. Asked what returning to number one in the world meant to him, McIlroy told Sky Sports: “It means a lot.

Rory McIlroy won the CJ Cup in South Carolina, one ahead of Kurt Kitayama, and said on becoming No 1 again: 'It means a lot. I've worked so hard the last 12 ...

I’m looking forward to celebrating with my team tonight and the next couple of weeks because I think it’s a big achievement. “I absolutely love the game of golf. Asked what returning to No 1 in the world meant to him, McIlroy told Sky Sports: “It means a lot.

The 33-year-old tops the rankings for the ninth time in his career.

It’s an awesome way to start the season, I guess, and obviously just a continuation of how I feel like I’ve been playing over the last few months.” “Then knowing 15 was birdie-able, getting that up and down out of the bunker… McIlroy said: “I think the birdie on 14 was the real turning point, for me. I’m really proud of myself right now and I want to go and enjoy this.” I’m looking forward to celebrating with my team tonight and the next couple of weeks because I think it’s a big achievement. “I’ve worked so hard over the last 12 months to get myself back to this place.

The four-time major champion's success follows his RBC Canadian Open win June and a history-making third FedExCup victory at the Tour Championship in August, ...

"I shot 62 to win in Canada, I shot 66 at the Tour Championship and then went out with a lead today and shot four under to win. "This tournament last year was the start of me trying to build myself back up to this point," added McIlroy, who was world No 14 when he won the CJ Cup in 2021. "All of that stuff combined is just as important as what I do out there trying to get these wins. "All three wins I've had to go out there and win them, right?" Now it's all about going forward and trying to just keep this going. "Yeah, it's just been a wild six months.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy produced a final round of 67 to secure victory at the CJ Cup and regain the tag of world number one.

I'm looking forward to celebrating with my team tonight and the next couple of weeks because I think it's a big achievement. Asked what returning to number one in the world meant to him, McIlroy told Sky Sports: "It means a lot. "I absolutely love the game of golf.

For the second time in his career, Rory McIlroy defended a title on the PGA TOUR.

His last victory was in his last start at the TOUR Championship, so although it bridges seasons, this also is the fourth time that he’s won in consecutive starts on TOUR and first since he won three in a row in 2014. He has at least one in 12 of the 14 seasons in which he’s been a member and in each of the last six. Although the likes of Jon Rahm (+900), Scottie Scheffler (+1200), Justin Thomas (+1600) and Matt Fitzpatrick (+2200) were in the field at Congaree Golf Club last week, McIlroy opened the tournament as the favorite at BetMGM. His personal bonus is that he’ll return to the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking for the ninth time in his career and first time since the second week of July in 2020. He had opened the week at +10000 as an outright at BetMGM. Kitayama’s consolations were $1.134 million and 300 FedExCup points. Poston 291/ 7 3.300 $18,795.00 T67 Sahith Theegala 291/ 7 3.300 $18,795.00 T67 Gary Woodland 291/ 7 3.300 $18,795.00 71 Trey Mullinax 292/ 8 2.900 $18,270.00 T72 Chanmin Jung 293/ 9 n/a (non-member) $17,850.00 T72 Kevin Kisner 293/ 9 2.700 $17,850.00 T72 Chez Reavie 293/ 9 2.700 $17,850.00 75 Yongjun Bae 294/ 10 n/a (non-member) $17,430.00 76 Sanghun Shin 301/ 17 n/a (non-member) $17,220.00 T77 Yeongsu Kim 303/ 19 n/a (non-member) $16,905.00 T77 Yoseop Seo 303/ 19 n/a (non-member) $16,905.00 After capturing victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in 2019, he prevailed at St. Ultimately, it was snared by Kurt Kitayama, who, like McIlroy, also signed for 1-under 67. Last year’s edition of THE CJ CUP was held at The Summit Club in Las Vegas. Kim 288/ 4 4.200 $19,740.00 T65 Christiaan Bezuidenhout 290/ 6 3.900 $19,425.00 T65 John Huh 290/ 6 3.900 $19,425.00 T67 Troy Merritt 291/ 7 3.300 $18,795.00 T67 J.T. George’s G&CC in June of this year.

RIDGELAND, S.C. – A decade after first getting to the top of the golf world as a bushy-haired 22-year-old from Northern Ireland, Rory McIlroy will wake up ...

On those good days, and McIlroy has more than most, he can look like a kid in a rush to be first at the door at the morning bakery. At the 348-yard 15th, Kitayama drove the green and McIlroy leaked his drive into a waste area right of the green. The first player to greet him at scoring was 20-year-old Tom Kim, who gave him a big hug. Leading by two, he knocked his second shot on but was 40 feet short of the hole. “He made those three putts, that was the difference.” McIlroy, now 33 with some gray sprinkled in his temples, pulled away along a key stretch of holes on Congaree’s back nine (which he played in 10-under for the week). McIlroy last was there at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday in 2020, and there was nothing casual about finding himself there again. He had vowed to take more ownership in his game, to stop going down any more “rabbit holes.” Getting all the pieces to fit together again has been an effort that took an entire team. McIlroy started Sunday with a one-shot lead over three players and kept the pedal down through 16 holes, making seven birdies with some brilliant play at Congaree Golf Club to hold off a trio of players who kept on his heels throughout. – A decade after first getting to the top of the golf world as a bushy-haired 22-year-old from Northern Ireland, Rory McIlroy will wake up Monday as world No. The victory was McIlroy’s 23rd PGA TOUR title, and he supplanted Masters champion Scottie Scheffler atop the rankings, the ninth time he has been No. 1 with victory at THE CJ CUP in South Carolina