Rory McIlroy, the strongest voice for the PGA Tour in a tumultuous year, had the final say with his clubs when he rallied from six shots behind to win the Tour Championship and capture the FedEx Cup for the third time.

McIlroy won $18 million, pushing his PGA Tour earnings to over $26 million for the season. He closed with a 4-under 66 to overtake Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, who made only one birdie in a 73. Scheffler was hoping to cap off the best year in golf with the FedEx Cup title.

Instead, his entry in the record book was tying a PGA Tour record for losing the largest 54-hole lead. The last one to do that was Dustin Johnson in 2017 at the HSBC Champions. McIlroy also became the first three-time winner of the FedEx Cup, played at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

He has won once more than Tiger Woods. With it came his reiterated endorsement of the PGA Tour amid the controversy involving the start-up LIV Golf Invitational Series. “I believe in the game of golf. I believe in this tour, in particular,” McIlroy said.

“There’s one thing I want to say. I feel that Scottie deserves at least half of this,” McIlroy said. “He has had an unbelievable season. I feel sort of bad that I pipped him to the post.” McIlroy, who has 22 career wins on the PGA Tour, pulled even with a birdie on the par-3 15th hole from nearly 32 feet away.

On the next hole, he appeared to be in trouble, but a pitch shot hit the pin and he was able to sink a 7-foot par putt. Scheffler took a bogey on the hole after hitting out of a greenside bunker. Scheffler had a chance to regain a share of the lead, but failed to connect on a 9-foot birdie putt on No. 17. Defending champion Patrick Cantlay shot 70 and ended up at 16-under in a tie for seventh place.