McIlroy scoops the pool

RORY McIlroy has opened up a golfing rivalry for the ages after his Tour Championship victory delivered a stunning $US15 million pay day as he chased down world No.1 Brooks Koepka.

McIlroy admitted his motivation to beat Koepka at the US PGA Tour’s season finale was a crushing loss to the bighitting American at the World Golf Championships event in Tennessee in July.

But yesterday, McIlroy pulled the rug from underneath 54-hole leader Koepka while paired with him in the final group at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia.

McIlroy, the 2016 play-offs winner, carded a four-under 66 to finish at 18-under-par and four shots clear of American Xander Schauffele (70). Koepka (72) and Justin Thomas (68) shared third at 13 under.

Australian Adam Scott’s 66 was the the equal low round of the day, along with McIlroy, and lifted him to sixth place at eight under — securing a $US1.9 million ($A2.8 million) in FedEx Cup bonus money.

The turning point in the final round came when Koepka, who held an early one- shot lead, lost a ball from an errant tee shot at the seventh hole and made double-bogey six.

McIlroy made a timely birdie on the same hole to steal the lead in a three-shot swing and the Northern Irishman never looked back.

“Once I saw I was in the final group with Brooks, it just took me back to Memphis a few weeks ago,” McIlroy said.

With McIlroy’s 17th US PGA Tour win, he moves to world No.2 and within striking distance of top-ranked Koepka. Both are four-time major winners and their battles are shaping up to be a rivalry not seen in golf since Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson duelled from the late 1990s to the late 2000s.