Jim Furyk wins Tour Championship, FedEx Cup and $10 million

ATLANTA -- Jim Furyk shot an even-par 70 on Sunday to win the Tour Championship and the 2010 FedEx Cup.

Furyk finished at eight-under 272 and won by a stroke over Luke Donald, who also had a 70 on Sunday.

Furyk became the first player this year to win a third PGA Tour title, the first time he’s won three times in a season in his career, but the big win was the year-long FedEx Cup win, which pocketed him $10 million.

After back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 16 and 17 cut his lead to a single stroke, Furyk walked up to the par-three 18th tee. He promptly dumped his tee ball into the bunker on the right side, but Furyk, one of the best bunker players in the world, blasted it inside two feet of the pin.

In miserable, rainy conditions, Furyk turned his cap backward so the raindrops wouldn’t impact his ball. He kicked in his two-foot par save, then the normally reserved Furyk unleashed a huge fist pump.

“I get criticized for never showing emotion, then when I do, it’s the first thing anyone brings up,” Furyk joked during his trophy presentation. “I had a calm about me all day, even down the stretch.”

He won the fourth FedEx Cup in history and joined Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh in that elite category. This third win and the accompanying FedEx Cup title probably gave Furyk an edge on the Player of the Year race as well.

“It’s a great icing on the cake for a good year,” said Furyk. “It’s a special moment.”

It’s almost remarkable that Furyk was able to stand there hoisting the FedEx Cup based on what happened the first week of the playoffs.

At the Barclays, Furyk’s alarm didn’t go off in time for him to make the pro- am and he was disqualified for the first playoff event.

“First and foremost, I wanted to make sure I would still have a chance to make it to this tournament,” Furyk said in his television interview. “I really worked hard on my game and came in firing on all cylinders.”

Donald finished third in the final FedEx Cup tally.

Matt Kuchar, who came into East Lake first in playoff points, never got on track all week. He finished with a one-over 71 on Sunday, tied for 25th place and came in second to Furyk in the FedEx Cup.

Retief Goosen shot a one-over 71 and took third at the Tour Championship. The two-time U.S. Open winner came in at six-under 274.

Paul Casey had a chance to win the FedEx Cup even if Furyk won the tournament. Casey came into the week fifth in playoff points, but he needed a solo second to win the FedEx Cup if Furyk captured the Tour Championship.

Casey bogeyed the 17th en route to a one-under 69. He tied for fifth with Nick Watney, who posted a three-under 67 on Sunday. The pair finished at five-under 275.

Last year’s winner Phil Mickelson struggled to a four-over 74 on Sunday and tied for 22nd place at plus-three.

But this Sunday belonged to Furyk.

He held a one-shot lead heading into the final round and immediately bogeyed his first hole. Donald bogeyed the fourth and eighth holes and a 27-foot birdie putt on the sixth from Furyk gave him a pretty comfortable cushion.

When Furyk was on the ninth tee, there was a weather delay of almost two hours due to storms in the area. He drained a 15-foot birdie putt at 11 when he returned and Furyk was two clear.

Donald made back-to-back birdies at 13 and 14 to inch closer, but when Furyk two-putted for birdie at the par-five 15th, he was 10-under par. Donald bogeyed the 16th and was four off Furyk’s lead.

In a driving rain, Furyk drove into the first cut at the 16th. His second didn’t find the putting surface, but he chunked his third shot into a greenside bunker. Furyk made bogey on the hole and when Donald made a long chip-in birdie at 17, the margin was down to two.

Donald parred the last and waited for Furyk to finish.

At the 17th, Furyk found the fairway, but had a long way to go at the par- four hole. His hybrid came up well short of the green, but he managed to get his third to seven feet.

“It was a lot heavy,” admitted Furyk. “I couldn’t get a three-iron onto the green. I made a very tentative swing and hit it very fat.”

Furyk missed that par putt and with Donald in at seven-under, Furyk walked to 18 one shot ahead. His hybrid shot landed in the right greenside bunker, but Furyk got up and down for the huge victory.

“I nipped it perfect,” said Furyk of his bunker shot at 18. “That one was almost dummy-proof. It was close enough. I’m glad also it wasn’t a six- footer.”

Charley Hoffman shot an even-par 70 on Sunday and took sixth at minus-three. Ernie Els fired a five-under 65 and shared seventh place with K.J. Choi, who had a two-under 68 on Sunday, at two-under 278.