Rory McIlroy Wins 2021 CJ Cup

Rory McIlroy wins the 2021 CJ Cup; his 20th PGA Tour win (image: Getty Images)

 

 

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - Things were heating up this weekend in the desert at The Summit Club, particularly for one Irishman.

Rory McIlroy has won the 2021 CJ Cup with a final score of 25-under par and a one shot lead over Collin Morikawa. This is McIlroy's 20th win on the PGA Tour and second this year after the Wells Fargo Championship in May. 

 

The Northern Ireland native is in his 14th year on tour; his win this week ensures he will receive lifetime membership on the PGA Tour, which will begin at the end of his 15th season.

A WEEKEND OF CHANGING STORYLINES

Heading into the weekend of the 2021 CJ Cup, the storylines were completely different.

As we wrote about in our Weekend Update article, Keith Mitchell held a dominant lead over the rest of the field and showed no signs of letting up. But this all changed on Saturday, when Mitchell carded a 1-over 73, on a day that saw scores as low as 62, shot by none other than McIlroy, and a 63 shot by Rickie Fowler.

McIlroy and Folwer were the main headlines heading into the final round, each with their own devoted fanbases and story; fan favorites of the PGA Tour and some of the nicest players on it.

 

Fowler, who entered the tournament on one of five available sponsor's exemptions, was looking for a resurgence in his career and a return to the elite level of golf he was known for. McIlroy, who was performing well this year, was struggling with inconsistencies in his game as of late. 

 

It was McIlroy who would make the most out of their final round however. He shot a 66 that included four birdies on the front nine and a birdie and eagle of the back nine. His eagle came on the par 5 14th hole, where he sank an incredible 34-foot putt after driving the green.

Fowler, on the other hand, was in the mix until a double bogey on the 6th hole. Another bogey on the 10th hole negated the three prior birdies he carded. Folwer would finish his round with a score of 71. Fowler's efforts did not go unrewarded. His T3 finish launched him from 128th to 82nd in the World Golf Rankings and is further confirmation that his game is in a good place. It will be exciting to watch Fowler this year and his ensuing comeback.

In the group ahead of McIlroy and Fowler, Morikawa was on fire, carding a 29 on his front nine. An eagle on the par 5 18th hole, concluded his 10-under round of 62, the low round of the day, and put the pressure on McIlroy and Fowler.

Keith Mitchell was not completely out of the mix. He made a back nine resurgence after four birdies to rally back to a T3 finish.

HOW DID OUR PICKS FINISH?

 

1) Dustin Johnson: T45 at 14-under

2) Marc Leishman: T38 at 15-under

3) Justin Thomas: T18 at 18-under

Not bad finishes at all. The top of the leaderboard was crammed coming down the stretch, with 13 players at or lower than 20-under.

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That concludes our coverage of the 2021 CJ Cup hosted by The Summit Club. Next week, we stay with the PGA Tour as it travels to Narashino, Japan for the 2021 Zozo Championship. This is another invitational event and again will boast an elite field. 

 

 

Stay tuned for our picks later this week,

-Nick

Toronto Golf Reviews