Mitchell wins Honda Classic for first PGA Tour win

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rory McIlroy finished the year as Europe’s top-ranked golfer for the fourth time – and first since 2015 – despite Jon Rahm winning the DP World Tour Championship on Sunday. The Spaniard’s two-shot victory over England’s Tyrrell Hatton and Sweden’s Alex Noren was his third in six years at Jumeirah Golf Estates. But McIlroy finished the season top of the DP World rankings after Matt Fitzpatrick, his only rival for the Harry Vardon Trophy, blew up around the turn. The U.S. Open champion needed to win and McIlroy to not finish runner-up, or to finish second and the Northern Irishman to be outside the top seven. But neither of those scenarios transpired as Fitzpatrick, three off the lead when playing the eighth, double-bogeyed and then dropped another shot at the 10th to end his chances. McIlroy did not need any of the fireworks of the previous day, when he powered himself into contention with a 65, and while he could have tied Rahm on 20 under had he eagled the last he could only manage par for a 68 that included six birdies and four bogeys to finish fourth. “It means a lot. It’s been seven years since I’ve last done it. I’ve won three FedExCups since I last won,” McIlroy, who lifted his third PGA TOUR FedExCup in August, told Sky Sports television. “It would have been nice to get one win in there at the end of the year but Jon played an incredible tournament and fully deserved it.” Rahm, who became the first player to win the tournament three times, began the final day with a one-shot lead and opened with two successive birdies to double his advantage. Fitzpatrick’s 28-foot birdie at the third got him to 15 under and within two but things started to unravel with a bogey at the short sixth and even though he immediately clawed back that dropped shot, the calamitous eighth ultimately did for his hopes. His drive landed in a deep rut in a waste area, his out shot failed to clear the rough and having flown the green and duffed his chip he two-putted from the fringe for a six. That put him five behind and after missing the fairway at the 10th he dropped another shot and his challenge was over as he finished 13 under, seven adrift. The only trouble McIlroy, who had three birdies and a bogey in his first four holes, had at the eighth came from the flagstick which kept out his 56ft birdie effort. He three-putted the ninth green but was not the only one as Hatton did the same for his only bogey in a round of 66.

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Round 2 begins today at the Sony Open in Hawaii. The strong field includes Collin Morikawa, Webb Simpson, Marc Leishman, Sergio Garcia, Joaquin Niemann, Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott, Matt Kuchar and defending champion Cameron Smith. Here’s everything you need to know to follow the action. Leaderboard Full tee times HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Saturday, 7 p.m.-10:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Sunday, 6 p.m.-10 p.m. (Golf Channel) Radio: Thursday-Saturday, 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m. ET. Sunday, 5 p.m.- 10 p.m. ET (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio) FEATURED GROUPS Collin Morikawa, Webb Simpson, Marc Leishman Sergio Garcia, Joaquin Niemann, Hideki Matsuyama Carlos Ortiz, Sungjae Im, Cameron Smith Harris English, Adam Scott, Matt Kuchar MUST READS Three share the lead at Sony Open in Hawaii OB stakes added overnight at Sony Open in Hawaii Cut prediction: Sony Open in Hawaii Cameron Smith making name for himself Garcia turns from Niemann rival to cheerleader Insider: From triple bogey to trophy CALL OF THE DAY

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Here’s everything you need to know for the TOUR Championship, the grand finale of the FedExCup Playoffs where the winner will earn $15 million. RELATED: FedExCup standings | FedExCup home Starting Strokes The top 30 in the FedExCup standings following the BMW Championship will advance to the TOUR Championship, where the final leaderboard will represent the final FedExCup standings for the top 30 players. Stroke play will be used to determine the champion of the PGA TOUR’s season-long points race. To recognize players for their Regular Season performance, there will be a staggered start to the TOUR Championship utilizing Starting Strokes. The FedExCup leaders will begin the event with a head-start on the competition. The player who finishes the four rounds at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club with the lowest score in relation to par will win the FedExCup. “As soon as the TOUR Championship begins, any fan – no matter if they’ve followed the PGA TOUR all season or are just tuning in for the final event – can immediately understand what’s going on and what’s at stake for every single player in the field,” PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan said when the changes were announced in 2018. “And, of course, players will know exactly where they stand at all times while in play, which will ratchet up the drama, consequence and volatility of the competition down the stretch.” Here’s how the leaderboard will look like going into Round 1 at East Lake. Payout First place in the FedExCup is $15 million. The runner-up will earn $5 million. Every player who makes it to East Lake will earn at least $395,000. Eight players will earn at least $1 million in FedExCup bonus money. Every player who qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs will earn at least $100,000, while Nos. 126-150 in the final FedExCup standings all earn $70,000. The FedExCup bonus money is the only money given for a player’s finish at East Lake. There is no longer a purse for the TOUR Championship. FedExCup bonus money is not considered part of a player’s official earnings for the season.

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