DEFENDING FEDEX CUP playoff champion Patrick Cantlay won his second consecutive BMW Championship on Sunday, becoming the first player to successfully defend a PGA Tour playoff title.

World number four Cantlay recovered from a two-stroke deficit on the back nine to defeat US compatriot Scott Stallings thanks to a key break and clutch putting.

Cantlay fired a two-under par 69 to finish on 14-under par and edge Stallings by a stroke.

Rory McIlroy finished tied-eighth on nine-under par, five behind Cantlay, while there was cruel disappointment for Shane Lowry who finished the week on eight-under par — but missed out on next week’s Tour Championship by a single place.

Seamus Power shot 75 on Sunday to finish his tournament on seven-over par.

At the top of the leaderboard, Stallings shared the lead with Cantlay when he dropped his approach nine feet from the cup at 18, but Stallings missed the pressure-packed birdie putt and settled for a closing par.

Cantlay, meanwhile, had his tee shot at 17 bounce out of the rough and onto the fairway. He pitched the ball to six feet and sank the clutch birdie putt to seize the lead.

At 18, Cantlay blasted out of a bunker to 46 feet, then lipped out his birdie putt and tapped in for par and the historic triumph.

Cantlay could also become the first to repeat as FedEx Cup champion next week in the  Tour Championship in East Lake.

World number one Scottie Scheffler, who shared third place this week with Tokyo Olympic champion Xander Schauffele, topped the season points chaseand  will start next week on 10-under par with a two-stroke lead over Cantlay.

The reigning Masters champion will also have a staggered margin over the rest of the 30-player field chasing the FedEx Cup playoff title Cantlay hopes to defend.

– © AFP 2022