The PGA Tour Championship held at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia came to an exciting end on the final round as heavyweights Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy fought it out for the victory. Scheffler, who started the tournament at 10 under par made quick work of the first three rounds of the tournament, finishing each day at five under, four under, and four under respectively for a score of 18 under heading into the final round of the tournament. McIlroy, who started the tournament at four under, had a solid first two rounds finishing three under for both rounds. In the third round, however, McIlroy finished an outstanding seven under to bring his score at 17 under heading into the final round. 

Grouped together as the final pairing, McIlroy and Scheffler competed for the championship through all 18 holes of the final round.. Scheffler got off to a poor start on the fourth round carding three bogeys and just one birdie on the front nine. McIlroy, on the other hand, came out of the gates flying, and despite a first hole bogey, he finished the front nine three under with four birdies. As McIlroy surged and Scheffler struggled, the two remained level throughout the front nine.

The pair continued to be level throughout the first holes of the back nine until the pair reached the 16th. McIlroy’s tee shot drew left into the bunker which had McIlroy attempt a difficult shot for the green. McIlroy’s shot flew the green into the crowd but an amazing chip shot onto the green gave him the opportunity to save par which he seized. Meanwhile, Scheffler's tee shot on the 16th fell short of the bunker into the rough. From the rough, Scheffler’s second shot landed into a greenside bunker from which his third shot made the green. Unfortunately for the 2022 Masters champion, his par putt pulled left leaving him finishing the hole with a disappointing bogey. With McIlroy now in the sole lead of the tournament, Scheffler had just two holes left to try and claw back the FedEx trophy from the Northern Irishman. With both players finishing the remaining holes at par, McIlroy won the 2022 PGA Tour Championship with just a one stroke difference.

Besides the pair of Scheffler and McIlroy, Korean Sungjae Im had an impressive tournament to look back on. Im, who started the tournament at four under par, was consistently strong throughout the tournament carding three and five under for the first two rounds and four under for the final two rounds. Im finished a spectacular 20 under par, tying with Scheffler. 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Xander Schaufelle also had a strong tournament, finishing 16 under par for the tournament.

While Scheffler can look back on the tournament with disappointment, having blown away a decent lead on the field, he did well to overcome his struggles on the front nine of the fourth round. On top of this, Scheffler’s season has been full of highs, not to mention a stunning win at the Masters Tournament earlier this year. Other than his Masters win, Scheffler has won three other tournaments and broke the PGA prize money record, taking home $13 million. 

Likewise, McIlroy also capped off an amazing season with his win at East Lake. McIlroy performed exceptionally well throughout the year, especially at the majors where he finished a league best 29 under for all and made all four cuts. While he failed to win any majors, his win at the tour championship capped off an impressive year.

The Tour Championship also comes at a time when the sport of golf is at a crossroads with the controversy surrounding the Saudi backed Liv golf league, but this weekend's tournament is a clear reminder that the grandeur and prestige of golf will always be encapsulated in the PGA tour.