Mcllroy fights back to win Deutsche Bank Open

Rory McIlroy’s glorious late-summer surge continued as he shot a final round of 67 to win the prestigious Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston.

World number one McIlroy began the day in second spot, three shots behind South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen, but his four-under-par round took him to 20-under-par, good enough to win by a shot.

Oosthuizen could only manage a level par round of 71 and, when his 12-foot birdie putt at the last went just right of the hole, victory was secure for USPGA champion McIlroy, whose third victory of the PGA Tour season moved him to the head of the FedEx Cup standings.

Tiger Woods finished third, a shot further back, after a closing 66 and his earnings of $544,000 made him the first man to reach $100 million in career prizemoney.

Phil Mickelson closed with a 66 to finish fourth – his best finish since The Masters – alongside Dustin Johnson while Brandt Snedeker was a further shot back in sixth.

Both Johnson and Snedeker will hope that their fine displays will boost the chances of US Ryder Cup skipper Davis Love giving them a wildcard pick on Tuesday morning.

McIlroy made his move with five birdies on the outward half to turn in four-under 32 and a further birdie at 12 put him three shots clear and seemingly in total control.

But 2010 Open champ Oosthuizen hit back with a birdie on 13 and narrowed the gap to a shot with another at 15.

The door looked wide open for the South African when McIlroy scrambled for bogey at 17 but, from the middle of the fairway, Oosthuizen dropped a shot too to stay one back.

He had another chance on 18 after McIlroy found rough off the tee but Oosthuizen’s second leaked right and he couldn’t get up and down to make the birdie he needed to force a play-off.

McIlroy had almost sealed the deal at 18 with a birdie putt that hung on the lip but, in the end, it didn’t matter as Oosthuizen couldn’t cash in.

A relieved McIlroy said: “That was more survival down those last few holes. I didn’t finish it off the way I would have liked but I got there in the end so I’m very happy.

“It’s my third victory of the year and great to get a victory in these play-offs. It sets me up in a great position going into the next two weeks.”