Patrick Cantlay – Photo Credit: Flickr

Patrick Cantlay claimed the US$15 million (RM62.2 million) FedEx Cup playoffs top prize as he held off Jon Rahm to win the US PGA Tour Championship on Sunday. 

Cantlay two-putted for birdie at the par-five 18th to cap a one-under-par 69 that gave him a 21-under-par total and a one-shot victory over Rahm of Spain, who made the second birdie of his two-under 68 at the final hole to finish on 20-under.

The American said that he was trying to approach each round as usual and tune out the prospect of a monster payday and also admitted that it wasn’t just another week.

“It was tough,” he said. “It was definitely different than any other week. It was the longest lead I’ve ever held. But I just tried to stay, day after day in the present, and I did an amazing job of that this week because the last couple days I made some mistakes I don’t usually make and I was able to really center myself and hit a lot of good shots when I needed to.”

Under the scoring system that awarded the 30 starters strokes based on their place in the playoff standings, Cantlay came into the tournament staked to a two-shot lead and a four-stroke advantage over Rahm.

He led every day, with Rahm pushing hard but unable to get past him.

Cantlay’s third bogey of the day at the par-four 17th saw his lead shrink to one, the American doing well to limit the damage after going right off the tee from where his second shot bounced through the green. He responded with a booming drive up the middle of the fairway at the par-five 18th, where he two-putted for birdie from 11 feet.

Meanwhile, Rahm pushed to the bitter end, his second shot at 18 tracking the pin only to bounce through the green and into the greenside rough from where he got up and down for birdie. The Spaniard’s only other birdie was a tap-in at the fifth hole.