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CJ Cup 2021: Rory McIlroy Tops Collin Morikawa By 1 Stroke, Wins After Final-Round 66

Timothy Rapp

Rory McIlroy had just one win last season, at May's Wells Fargo Championship. One tournament into his next season, he has already matched his 2021 success.

McIlroy won the CJ Cup on Sunday in Las Vegas, shooting a 6-under 66 to finish 25 under for the tournament. That left him just one stroke ahead of Collin Morikawa and three strokes in front of Keith Mitchell and Rickie Fowler. 

Talor Gooch, Sam Burns, Aaron Wise and Adam Scott rounded out the top five at 21 under. 

McIlroy had a brilliant weekend, storming back into contention after shooting a 62 on Saturday. He continued that with a strong round Sunday that included five birdies, an eagle and a bogey. 

He averaged a driving distance of 325.1 yards on Sunday, had a driving accuracy of 71.4 percent, hit 83.3 percent of greens in regulation and lost 0.81 strokes putting, per PGATour.com

He also hit some beautiful shots during his final round:

McIlroy needed every last one of those shots, as Morikawa charged up the leaderboard, shooting a 62 of his own Sunday. Only Emiliano Grillo's 61—which tied the event's 18-hole scoring record—during the final round was better. 

But the day belonged to McIlroy, who continues to add exploits to an already impressive resume:

McIlroy said his disappointment at the Ryder Cup, and the chance to take some time to reflect on his approach in general, helped inspire Sunday's win:

He also appreciated the historical context of the victory.

"It is a pretty big carrot," McIlroy told reporters. "To get to 20 wins out here is a big achievement."

   

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