Rory McIlroy's FedEx Cup Win Is A Poetic Ending To The Most Unique PGA Tour Season Ever

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Rory McIlroy Uses LIV Golf Chatter To Fuel His Fire

This is now the second time McIlroy has performed at his best with the threat of LIV Golf lingering in his head. McIlroy captured the RBC Canadian Open on the same weekend LIV Golf held its inaugural event in London thanks to a final round 62 on Sunday in one of the best finishes of the year. His win this week at the Tour Championship comes just a few days after the PGA Tour announced sweeping changes to come moving forward, changes spearheaded by McIlroy and his fellow Tour players.

Three weeks ago, prior to the start of the first FedEx Cup playoff event in Memphis, McIlroy was asked if he enjoyed being the unofficial spokesperson of the Tour amid its battle with LIV Golf. “Not really," McIlroy answered. "I don’t feel like it’s my job to be up here and stick up for the Tour or be a spokesperson." The 33-year-old was frustrated and tired of being the guy everyone looked to for answers about the future of the PGA Tour. Instead of letting the outside noise hurt his game, it's as if he used it as fuel, and he had a full tank on Sunday. Given his mindset three weeks ago and everything he's had to deal with off the golf course, it's hard not to think that the golf gods weren't on McIlroy's side on Sunday at East Lake. This win in particular speaks to the kind of character and competitor McIlroy is. There's a reason everyone looks to him for answers and his performance on Sunday is the latest example of why.

Follow Mark Harris on Twitter @ItIsMarkHarris

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.