RIDGELAND, S.C. (AP) — The final steps on Rory McIlroy's long road back to No. 1 go down on the scorecard as bogeys, which made him laugh.
All that mattered Sunday was winning the CJ Cup in South Carolina, and that about made him cry. McIlroy reclaimed the No. 1 ranking for the ninth time by holding off Kurt Kitayama and enduring a nervous moment at the end with a three-putt bogey that gave him a 4-under 67 and a one-shot victory.
More than the ranking, it was realizing how far he had come with so much support behind the scenes that made his voice slightly choke with emotion. “This tournament last year was the start of me trying to build myself back up to this point,” McIlroy said. “I had a really rough Ryder Cup.
I think I was outside the top 10 in the world — it's not a position that I'm used to being in.” McIlroy went 1-3 in a Ryder Cup loss.