McIlroy Wins HSBC

Ireland’s Rory McIlroy defeated American Xander Schauffele on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff today to win the WGC-HSBC Championship at the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, China.

Both players had tied in the regular 72 holes of competition at 19-under par when Schauffele, who was fighting off flu symptoms all week, birdied the par-five 18th hole today to force the playoff. Sweet-swinging Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa was contending until he dropped out on the back nine.

Playing that hole again in the playoff, long-hitting McIlroy struck a fine four-iron second shot onto the green, twenty-five feet from the hole, and two-putted for his birdie to get the win as Schauffele missed his twelve-foot birdie putt. It was Rory’s fourth win on the PGA Tour in 2019. It suggested that maybe his controversial selection as Player of the Year in the 2019 season over Brooks Koepka was the right selection.

This was the first time the regular PGA Tour had ever held one of its tournaments in China. It was the same last week in Japan. Following the political dustup weeks ago involving the National Basketball Association in the USA and China, this tournament went smoothly.

As U.S. captain of the Presidents Cup, Tiger Woods will make his captain’s pick next Thursday. Having won the Masters this year and the Zozo Championship in Japan last week, he may be forced to pick himself. If so, then he can use one of his favorite phrases, “and that’s a good thing.”