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Rory McIlroy edged out Xander Schauffele in a play-off to win the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.<\/p>\nRory McIlroy edged out Xander Schauffele in a play-off to win the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.<\/p>\n
The world number two won at the first extra hole at the Sheshan International Golf Club after the pair both finished on 19 under.<\/p>\n
Schauffele, the defending champion, had birdied the 18th to take the event into a play-off but he could only score par as the pair played it again in sudden death.<\/p>\n
McIlroy, who had to lay up after flirting with water on his first playing of the 18th, duly sank a birdie putt to claim his 27th career title.<\/p>\n
It was also McIlroy\u2019s third win in a World Golf Championships event, his fourth win of 2019 and the first in his defense of the FedEX Cup title. It lifted him to the top of the PGA Tour\u2019s FedEx Cup standings and fifth in the European Tour\u2019s Race to Dubai rankings.<\/p>\n
McIlroy told Sky Sports: \u201cIt\u2019s a tough closing stretch even though there are holes you think you should birdie. There are dangers waiting around every corner.<\/p>\n
\u201cI played conservatively when I needed to and thankfully it paid off.\u201d<\/p>\n
McIlroy shot four birdies in his closing 68 while fast-finishing Schauffele recorded seven birdies, five of which were on the front nine, in a 66, although a bogey at the sixth was to prove costly.<\/p>\n
South Africa\u2019s Louis Oosthuizen finished third on 17 under after a 69, two shots ahead of Victor Perez, Matthias Schwab and Abraham Ancer. Britain\u2019s Matt Fitzpatrick finished seventh on 14 under.<\/p>\n
McIlroy now hopes to round off 2019 with success on the European circuit\u2019s season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai later this month.<\/p>\n
The Northern Irishman said: \u201cI got off to a good start in the FedEx Cup last year and being up there from the start is huge.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this win gets me to number one in the FedEx Cup and that\u2019s nice going into the break. I\u2019m going to take two months off after I play in Dubai in a couple of weeks\u2019 time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am looking forward to that break but I have still got one tournament left this year at a place where I\u2019ve had some success. I want to finish the year on a high note.\u201d<\/p>\n