The Tour Championship has kept fans glued to their screens, with the top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings battling for the season-ending title. As the third round gets underway at East Lake, Viktor Hovland and Ryan Gerard remain locked in a tie at the top. However, their closely fought battle is far from the most thrilling finish the tournament has produced. That distinction belongs to three memorable editions from the event’s history. 

One Sunday, two victories

More than 16 years ago, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, two of golf’s dominant stars at the time, finished 1-2 in a rare dual-victory finish. Mickelson charged from four shots back with a bogey-free final-round 65, featuring a front-nine 31 and a clutch chip-in birdie on the 16th that sealed a three-stroke win and the tournament trophy.

Woods, closing with a 70 after a strong playoff run, secured solo second, enough to claim the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus. For the first time in their storied rivalry, both men left as winners on the same day: Mickelson with the crystal and emotional closure after a tough year that included his wife’s and mother’s breast-cancer diagnoses, and Woods with the season-long prize following knee surgery.

Five years in the making 

The 2018 Tour Championship marked Tiger Woods’ first PGA Tour victory in five years, capping one of sports’ greatest comebacks after multiple back surgeries and years of doubt. Starting Sunday with a three-shot lead, Woods extended it to five early, then steadied through a grinding 71 as Billy Horschel charged with a 66 to finish two back.

The real drama erupted on the 18th. A roaring, overflowing gallery of fans poured through the ropes, chanting and swarming the fairway in pure Tigermania, creating an emotional, chaotic scene as Woods tapped in for par and raised both arms in triumph, nearly moved to tears. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy acknowledged that this was the most painful loss he ever suffered.

“It was sort of the first time I’d really been in that position with him, and I didn’t get the best out of myself that day, and that hurt a little bit just because he’s such a hero for a lot of us out here,” McIlroy said. “You dream of situations like that, and then not being able to conjure up your best stuff when you need it — that one hurt a little bit.”

One man’s mistake, another’s gain

Everyone loves a good comeback story, and Rory McIlroy delivered exactly that during the 2022 Tour Championship. It was historic, as he erased a six-shot deficit against world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler to claim a one-stroke victory and his record third FedEx Cup. Starting the day six behind, McIlroy fired a brilliant 4-under 66 while Scheffler stumbled to a 3-over 73, tied for the worst round of the day.

McIlroy birdied four of the first seven holes to catch Scheffler, then sealed the drama with a 31-foot birdie putt on the 15th to tie and a lucky chip that clipped the flagstick on the 16th. This set up a crucial par as Scheffler bogeyed and surrendered the lead for the first time all week.

Sungjae Im also surged with a 66 to tie Scheffler for second. 

But McIlroy’s calm closing pars secured the $18 million prize and history as the first three-time FedEx Cup champion. 

Whether this year’s Tour Championship sees such nail-biting action at East Lake is yet to be seen. However, both Scottie and McIlroy are on the field, and there’s plenty of action left.