In a land par, par, away (actually it was just Atlanta, Georgia), Rory McIlroy became the first player to ever capture three separate FedEx Cup titles. Rory scorched East Lake Golf Club over the weekend firing a third-round 63 and a fourth-round 66 to beat Scottie Scheffler and Sung-jae Im by one stroke.

Scheffler looked unbeatable entering the final round. He started the week in the No. 1 spot of the FedEx Cup rankings and had a two-shot lead on Xander Schaueffele at the start of the event. Scheffler torched East Lake Golf Club the first three days shooting 67, 65, and 66 to get to 24 under par, and comfortably held a six-shot lead going into the final round. However, the World No. 1 faltered Sunday and shot a final round 73 and was eclipsed by McIlroy by one shot.

Overall, it was an impressive tournament to cap a great season for McIlroy. He started Thursday’s first round with a triple bogey but didn’t let that phase him. He bounced back and still shot 3 under par that day. Rory’s 2022 season included another victory at the CJ Cup, a top 5 or better in all four majors, the Tour Championship, and he raised the FedEx Cup. He also set the record for most earnings in a single season by capturing over $19 million in prize money this season.

If you missed my coverage of the first two events of the FedEx Cup, check out my article here to stay in the know about what went down during the FedEx St. Jude Invitational and the BMW Championship.

Rory’s Shot of the Week: I Like Big Putts and I Cannot Lie

Tip of the cap to my friend Erika for the awesome golf puns for this week's PGA Tour coverage. Easily the best shot of the week and the one that really changed the tide was Rory pouring in a 31-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole. This tied him with then-leader Scottie Scheffler at 21 under par and upped the level of pressure on Scheffler for the last three holes.

What’s in Rory McIlroy’s Bag?

• Driver: Taylormade Stealth Plus (8.25 Degrees); Fujikura Ventus Black 6X
• 3-Wood: Taylormade Stealth Plus (15 Degrees); Fujikura Ventus Black 8X
• 5-Wood: Taylormade Stealth Plus (19 Degrees); Fujikura Ventus Black 9X
• 3-Iron: Taylormade P770; Project X Rifle 7.0
• 4-Iron to Pitching Wedge: Taylormade Rors Proto; Project X Rifle 7.0
• Wedges: Taylormade MG3 54-Degree Sand Wedge & 58-Degree Lob Wedge; Project X Rifle 6.5
• Putter: Taylormade Spider X Hydroblast
• Ball: Taylormade TP5x

A Look Ahead: The President’s Cup & Fall Series

Next up on the agenda is The President’s Cup at Quail Hollow Golf Club in Charlotte, NC. The Tour Championship was the last event that the Captains could view players for their Captain’s Pick. The U.S. Captain, Davis Love III, gets six picks, and the International Cup Captain, Trevor Immelman, gets four picks. Currently, these are the players that have already qualified for either the U.S. or the International squads.

The fascinating thing to watch before the International team picks its remaining players is what happens with the rumors about some of their top players leaving for the LIV Tour. Currently, there are rumors that Hideki Matsuyama, Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, and Mito Pereira are all prepared to announce their departures from the team in favor of LIV. Once a player has joined the LIV Tour, they automatically become ineligible to play in the President’s Cup. Sounds like Trevor Immelman will be needing to pick eight players instead of the typical four! The U.S. squad does not have these concerns as the six players who were automatic qualifiers for the U.S. team have voiced their dedication to the PGA Tour and will not be joining the competitive Saudi-backed league.

After the conclusion of the President’s Cup, the fall series will start with the Fortinet Championship in Napa, California where the players outside the top 150 on the money list (those that did not make the FedEx Cup playoffs) will try and secure their card for next season. Then the 2023 season will kick off with new point calculations for the FedEx Cup and the “Top Players” format to try and combat the LIV Tour with the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Kapalua, Maui in January!

Of course, if you have any questions about any of the gear that Rory used to win the FedEx Cup for a record third time, feel free to reach out to me or any of our other great Golf Experts here on Curated!