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Furyk wins Tour Championship, FedEx Cup

by Doug Ferguson
| September 27, 2010 9:00 PM

ATLANTA — One clutch shot gave Jim Furyk two big trophies Sunday.

He sat between them Sunday afternoon after his dramatic victory in the rain at East Lake, the crystal trophy for the Tour Championship on his left and the sterling silver FedEx Cup trophy on his right.

Which one meant more?

Furyk reached out his right hand and gently tapped the silver cup, which might be more valuable than the $10 million that comes with it.

Clinging to a one-shot lead, in a bunker so deep he could only see the top of the lip, Furyk hit a clean shot and watched it head for the flag. It landed inches from the cup and spun to a stop 2½ feet away for an easy par and a one-shot victory over Luke Donald.

He put his name on a trophy with Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh. He finally won the Tour Championship, giving him three victories in a season for the first time in his career. He stated a strong case — three victories and FedEx Cup champion — as PGA Tour player of the year.

Maybe that explains why his stoic demeanor gave way to a celebration never before seen out of Furyk.

“It just hit me,” said Furyk, who closed with an even-par 70. “I was excited and dropped the putter and ... I don’t know. I guess at that moment, you’re not really responsible for what happens next.”

He thrust his fist toward the grandstand with such force that it looked like he heaved his golf ball into the crowd. And he shared a hug with his wife, Tabitha, asking her, “Did I win the bonus?”

Furyk finished at 8-under 272 and earned $1.35 million, along with the $10 million bonus, the biggest payoff in golf. He moved to No. 5 in the world ranking.