Cantlay’s final-round 69 at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club on Sunday noticed him end one shot forward of Jon Rahm on the PGA Tour’s season-ending occasion, wrapping up the FedEx Cup championship within the course of.
It comes as Cantlay has hit a wealthy vein of kind in current weeks.
His nerveless placing and calm demeanor on the course have earned him the moniker “Patty Ice” amongst followers, and Cantlay as soon as extra lived as much as that nickname on Sunday as he held off a problem from Rahm.
“Self-belief’s a big thing doing what I do,” 29-year-old Cantlay instructed CNN Sport’s Don Riddell.
“You’re all alone out there. You have to have that self-belief to be able to come through when it matters … You don’t get the opportunity to win tournaments that often. It’s unlike the other sports in that regard.”
‘Focus and lock in’
Cantlay led the FedEx Cup standings after overcoming a tense, six-hole playoff in opposition to Bryson DeChambeau on the BMW Championship final month.
He entered the ultimate spherical of the Tour Championship with a two-shot lead over world No. 1 Rahm, which was reduce to a single shot all through the day.
Cantlay bogeyed the fifth, ninth and seventeenth holes to go along with birdies on the second, sixth, sixteenth and — crucially — 18th, the place an excellent iron shot took him onto the inexperienced and inside 12 toes of the outlet.
Rahm, who completed the event with a bogey-free spherical, matched Cantlay with a birdie on the 18th, which means he remained one shot adrift.
“I just told myself to focus and lock in — that’s what I told myself all day,” stated Cantlay, who has six PGA Tour victories to his title, 4 of which have come this 12 months.
“I actually did a great job of staying current and focusing as onerous as I may on each shot. That’s what golf is — not getting forward of your self and simply locking in and giving each shot your full consideration.
“I’m really proud of myself for doing that and doing that today, and not only today, but throughout the whole week.”
Breakthrough 12 months
Cantlay’s FedEx Cup rating meant he began the Tour Championship on 10 beneath par — 4 pictures forward of Rahm — and he by no means relinquished his place on the prime of the standings over the course of the 4 days.
He joins a distinguished listing of golfers to triumph within the season-long championship, together with Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth.
“I think I’m a guy that lets my clubs do the talking … I don’t say a lot, I don’t grandstand a lot,” stated Cantlay.
“But I love golf and I love competing on the biggest stage against the best players. I’m just grateful to be where I am and doing what I do.”
On his solution to the highest, the Californian has skilled some darkish occasions, together with a severe again harm that compelled him to overlook three years of aggressive golf and nearly ended his profession.
Now, nevertheless, his stars appear to be aligning.
“I think I’ll draw on these experiences for a long time,” stated Cantlay.
“I’m going to have a lot of tournaments hopefully in my profession and I’m going to be in comparable conditions sooner or later that I used to be this week and final week.
“Drawing on those positive memories and remembering what it felt like to come through on the clutch — I think that’s great for me going forward.”
The FedEx Cup is the richest purse in golf. While Cantlay took residence $15 million, Rahm earned $5 million because the runner-up and Kevin Na, who completed third forward of Justin Thomas on 16-under-par, $4 million.
