Rory McIlroy hugged Scottie Scheffler's family and apologised for coming from behind to beat the American to the FedEx Cup.
McIlroy remarkably overturned a six-shot deficit in the final round of the Tour Championship to become the first player to win the FedEx Cup three times.
He carded a closing 66 at East Lake to finish 21 under par, a shot ahead of Sungjae Im and Scheffler, who had been an odds-on favourite to secure his fifth win of the season and the €18million first prize.
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However, Scheffler struggled to a 73 and McIlroy took full advantage to claim an extraordinary victory, having started the week six shots behind the world number one under the handicap scoring system and making a triple bogey on his first hole.
Playing together in the final group, McIlroy and Scheffler both bogeyed the first and while Scheffler also dropped shots on the fourth and sixth, McIlroy birdied the third and made three more in succession from the fifth for a share of the lead.
Scheffler responded immediately with a birdie on the eighth and although McIlroy got back on level terms at the 12th, the Northern Irishman bogeyed the 14th after missing the green with his approach.
McIlroy was not about to throw in the towel though and holed from 30 feet for birdie on the 15th and saved par on the next after flying his second shot over the green from a fairway bunker.
The former world number one’s chip was travelling at speed when it clattered into the pin and, after Scheffler made bogey from a greenside bunker, McIlroy holed from seven feet to take the lead for the first time.
A poor bunker shot on the par-five 18th cost Scheffler the chance to force a play-off and the Masters champion had to scramble for par to share second place with Im, who matched McIlroy’s closing 66.
Moments after securing victory, McIlroy headed straight for Scheffler's parents and his wife to apologise for winning.
He said: "I'm sorry. He deserves it. He's had an unbelievable year."
Responding to the world number three, Scheffler's father added: "So did you."
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