Vegas allows a ‘Lifetime’ experience for Rory McIlroy

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With the CJ CUP, Rory McIlroy became the 39th player to record at least 20 wins on Tour and moved to T35 on the all-time wins list. Photo: PGA Tour
With the CJ CUP, Rory McIlroy became the 39th player to record at least 20 wins on Tour and moved to T35 on the all-time wins list. Photo: PGA Tour

Rory McIlroy picked up his 20th PGA Tour victory at the CJ CUP, guaranteeing Lifetime Membership after his 15th season of active participation on Tour (following the 2022-23 Season).

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McIlroy became the 39th player to record at least 20 wins on Tour and moved to T35 on the all-time wins list.

 

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McIlroy won with a tournament-record 25-under 263 (Brooks Koepka/2018/267).

McIlroy picked up this victory in his 205th start at the age of 32 years, 5 months, 13 days. Won in his season debut for the first time in his career.

 

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Led the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (6.028); only other time he led the category on Tour was the 2018 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (Won) when he outperformed the field by 10.03 strokes.

 

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Collin Morikawa (2nd/-24), a five-time winner, finished runner-up for the fourth time on Tour (once in each of the last four seasons).

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He opened with a 7-under 29 en route to a final-round, career-low 10-under 62; closed by holing a 6’ 7” eagle on No. 18.

Played his final 42 holes without a bogey. Making his season debut, was in search of his third win in his last 16 starts.

 

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Morikawa finished runner-up in his third start in the CJ CUP (T36/2019, T12/2020, 2nd/2021).

After entering the final round with a two-stroke advantage, Rickie Fowler (T3) closed with a 1-under 71 to fall to 2-for-8 when holding the third-round lead/co-lead. Was seeking to become the first sponsor exemption to win on Tour since Martin Laird did so in Las Vegas at the 2020 Shriners Children’s Open.

 

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He picked up his best finish on Tour since finishing runner-up at The Honda Classic in 2019.

Emiliano Grillo equalled the tournament 18-hole scoring record with a career-low 11-under 61.

 

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At T9, last week’s Shriners Children’s Open champion Sungjae Im emerged as top finisher among 12 Koreans in field.

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