Fedex Cup champion Rory McIlroy beat defending champion Xander Schauffele in a play-off to win the HSBC Champions, at Sheshan International. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

RORY McIlroy overcame Xander Schauffele in a play-off to win his third World Golf Championships title at the WGC-HSBC Champions, in China.

The Northern Irishman – who claimed his second Fedex Cup win in August – entered the final day at Sheshan International Golf Club with a one-shot lead.

And McIlroy still held that as he stood on the 18th tee, with playing partner and defending champion Schauffele his nearest challenger.

A closing birdie from Schauffele saw him join McIlroy at 19-under and take it to extra holes, but the American could not repeat last season’s play-off triumph over Tony Finau.

McIlroy hit a wonderful drive and found the green in two to set up a birdie which Schauffele could not match.

The San Diego ace found a nasty lie off the tee and was forced to lay-up on the first trip back up the 18th.

McIlroy said: “There’s a lot of stuff that people don’t see behind the scenes just in terms of hard work and putting the hours in at home.

“But all of that, it’s not work, really. It’s playing golf for a living. I’d be in trouble if I did have to work for a living.

“To practise hard and to do all the right things and to see it pay off like this and get wins like this makes it all worthwhile.

“It is what sport is about. Xander pushed me the whole way, or all 73 holes we played together this week.

“We played every round, and one more, as well. He played great. He was battling a flu all week, wasn’t feeling his best, and so the calibre of golf he played this week, it takes some doing.

“I don’t want to take anything away from him. He birdied the last to get into the play-off, and then I produced two of the best shots of the day when I needed it, which was really cool.

“I have one more event left in Dubai. I want to finish the season off as well as I can,” said McIlroy, whose biggest disappointment of the year came when he missed the cut at Royal Portrush, which hosted the Open, for the first time in 58 years in July.

McIlroy, who had two top 10s in the US Open and USPGA, added: “I really wanted to get another win before the end of the year.

“And now that I’ve done that, it would be nice to get two wins.

“I’m excited for the future. I feel like this year compares to 2014, 2015, but I don’t see any reason why I can’t go ahead and have an even better year next year.”

The win for McIlroy is his fourth worldwide this season and sees him join only Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods as players to have won three of the four World Golf Championships events.

Rory’s previous victories came at the Bridgestone Invitational in 2014, and the WGC Cadillac Match Play in 2015.

A 14th European Tour victory – and the World No. 2’s first since the 2016 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open – also sees him equal Darren Clarke’s record for Northern Ireland.

Schauffele paid tribute to his conqueror saying: “He’s an elite player. When he’s on, I’d say he’s arguably the best player in the world.

“He made me play better. I know what I need to do to become a better player.

“My time will come. I’m looking forward to getting healthy, not coughing, sleeping. More important things than trying to win a golf tournament.”

South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen was the third member of the final group and he finished third at 17-under – two shots clear of Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, Frenchman Victor Perez and Austrian Matthias Schwab.

Perez and Schwab both fired closing rounds of 66 in impressive World Golf Championships debuts, while Ancer signed for a 67.

Sheffield’s Matthew Fitzpatrick finished on 14-under, two shots clear of Jason Kokrak, Patrick Reed and Paul Waring.

•For full results in the HSBC Champions click here.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – NOVEMBER 03: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland pictured after with the ‘Old Tom Morris Trophy’ after winning the WGC HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club on November 03, 2019 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

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Hallamshire’s Matt Fitzpatrick shot a five-under 67 to take the second round lead inthe HSBC Champions at Sheshan International. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

MATT Fitzpatrick will take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the WGC-HSBC Champions as he seeks the victory that will extend his winning streak over the first four years of his career to a win in every season.

But he will have World No. 2 Rory McIlroy breathing down his neck at Shanghai’s Sheshan International Golf Club.

Both players carded rounds of 67 in the second round, with Fitzpatrick moving to 11-under and leading the way by one from his 2016 Ryder Cup team-mate.

The 25-year-old is looking to extend his impressive record of having won every year since he graduated from European Tour Qualifying School in 2014.

The Hallamshire GC member, who won the US Amateur in 2013 – the first English winner since Harold Hilton in 1911 – has four second places on the 2019 Race to Dubai.

Matthew Fitzpatrick, who has added the invaluable experience of Billy Foster as his caddy in 2019, said: “The back nine, I putted fantastic, as good as I’ve putted all year.

“The rough is tough. The greens are firm – they are slopy as well. Today was definitely difficult.

“It’s where you want to be, at the top after two rounds. Obviously better to be there for four, but it’s a good start to the week.

“Getting a little bit more comfortable with my game than last week, so hopefully carry on over the weekend.

“It’s so important to the fairways here, because you miss them, you’ve either got a terrible lie and hacking out, or you’ve got a good lie and getting a flyer.

“It’s a big key to hitting fairways around here and if you can keep doing it, you’ll give yourself more chances.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be in this position a few times already this year – a little bit different being a WGC.

“It means a little bit more to everyone. Still the same plan. Still trying to hit fairways and greens, and really that’s the key around here is if you keep it out of the rough, you’ve got a good chance.”

A victory on Sunday would be his first in a World Golf Championships event and represent another milestone in the Yorkshire ace’s career.

McIlroy has finished second seven times since his last European Tour victory at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in 2016.

Rory was happy not to be playing catch up heading into the weekend as he tries to add the HSBC Champions to the 2014 WGC Bridgestone Invitational he won at Firestone, and the WGC Cadillac Matchplay title he won at San Francisco’s TPC Harding Park, in 2015.

McIlroy said: “Delighted with the first two rounds. To put myself right in contention going into the weekend is something that I wanted to do.

“It’s something that I haven’t done a lot of over the last few weeks. I’ve sort of had bad starts and then clawed my way back into a good position at the end but to be right in the tournament after two days, I’m excited.”

“I think my short game has been really good, which takes the pressure off your long game.

I can be a little more free with my long game, go at a few more pins and be a little more aggressive. And because of that, I’m hitting it closer and giving myself plenty of chances for birdies.

“If I do miss, I’ve got my short game to ball back on and rely on and I’ve been able to get the ball up-and-down very well the last few months.

“All of that combined with the second shots, and confidence if I do miss a green, that’s been a key to shooting some of these low scores.”

Defending champion Xander Schauffele, South Korean Sungjae Im and Australian Adam Scott were then at nine-under, a shot clear of local hero Li Haotong and Frenchman Victor Perez, who won the Foshan Open in China on the European Challenge Tour, a year ago.

Schauffele, who has been feeling poorly, is not giving up on his title.

The American said: “I’ve been preparing all year, and I’ve looked forward to coming back here all year. I’m not going to let the flu get my hopes down.”

South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen was at seven-under, one clear of Austrian Matthias Schwab and England’s Paul Waring.

Oosthuizen will be keen to finish off a good third round before South Africa tackle England in the Rugby World Cup final in Japan, which kicks off at 9am UK time.

•For live scoring from the HSBC Champions third round click here.

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Li Haotong, Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter with members of the CGA-HSBC China Junior Golf Program. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

SOME of China’s leading young golfers got some first-class tips from the world’s best Tour players, including Rory McIlroy and HSBC Champions’ defending champion Xander Schauffele, in Shanghai.

Schauffele joined World No. 2 McIlroy, Hampshire’s US Open winner Justin Rose, and Woburn’s Ryder Cup legend Ian Poulter met stars of the CGA-HSBC China Junior Golf Program.

And local hero Li Haotong surprised some of China’s most promising young players at the driving range at the first practice day of the World Golf Championship tournament.

Celebrating 15 years of world-class golf in Shanghai, the event has brought some of the game’s biggest stars to China.

And the “best golf lessons ever” were given to five junior players as a reward for showing outstanding progress during the junior program’s 2019 season.

The unique range clinic served as the ideal warm-up for later in the week, when the aforementioned stars tackle the testing Sheshan International Golf Club at the final World Golf Championships event on the 2019 Race to Dubai.

Li, a graduate of the CGA-HSBC China Junior Golf Program, said: “When the first HSBC-Champions took place in 2005, I was just nine years old.

“In that time, it has been incredible to be part of a huge rise in interest in golf in China,” said Li.

“I am extremely proud to see the growth of the game I love and to see so many kids coming through.

“It was a privilege to connect with some of the future stars of Chinese golf today, and hopefully help set them off on their own golfing journeys.”

McIlroy, who has finished in the top five on three previous occasions, came through the Faldo Junior Series more than a decade ago.

The Northern Ireland star who has been unable to add to his tally of four Majors since his last in 2014, said: “Whenever you play WGC-HSBC Champions you feel like the eyes of the entire country are on you.

“It’s great to compete in front of this growing and energetic audience of golf fans who are extremely knowledgeable and committed to the game.

“All the work that has been done to support golf in the country is certainly paying off, both in the growth of the fanbase and the talented young golfers we met today.”

Schauffele, an American whose Chinese-speaking mother witnessed his victory in Shanghai last year, said: “WGC-HSBC Champions will always hold a special place in my heart having won last year in front of my family.

“It’s great to be back and to be able to meet some of these young Chinese stars. Thanks to the work done to encourage the game here in China there is now a really strong pool of talented players across the country.

“I’m sure that some of the kids I met today will be winning global tournaments before we know it,” added Schuaffele.

•For tee times at this weeks HSBC Champions click here.

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Francesco Molinari will take positive vibes from past performances in the USPGA to fire his bid for a second Major title at Bethpage Black. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FRANCESCO Molinari is hoping to continue his impressive Major form at this week’s USPGA Championship, as The Open Champion prepares to once again tee it up alongside recently-crowned Masters winner Tiger Woods at Bethpage.

The Italian played side-by-side with Woods at Augusta National as the American famously claimed his 15th^h Major title.

And Molinari is unlikely be distracted by the hype around his playing partner in New York this week as the 2018 Race to Dubai champion looks to continue his purple patch at golf’s big four.

In his last six Major appearances, Molinari has claimed a win, a runner-up, a top five and a top 10 – his worst result in that time a tied 25th finish at last year’s US Open.

He has performed well in the last two USPGA Championships too, so the 36-year-old will be quietly confident despite the daunting length of Bethpage’s Black Course, which hosted the US Open in 2002 and 2009.

Francesco Molinari said: “It’s just been a good relationship with this tournament, I guess, if you can call it that. I think I had my first top 10 in a Major at the USPGA, as well.

“Probably the set-up of the courses suit me, it’s usually important to hit fairways and hit greens.

“And it’s probably just the kind of courses and layouts that this championship has been played on, I think, that have suited my game well in the past. Hopefully I’ll keep that streak going this week.

“I guess you need more time really to digest everything from the last year,” added the Italian Ryder Cup hero at Paris’ Le Golf National against the Americans, in September.

“Fortunately things keep coming my way, and obviously I like it. I love and enjoy every single minute.

“I enjoyed last season, even before winning the Open at Carnoustie. It doesn’t seem like 10 months have been passed already since we were there at Carnoustie.

“It’s been great, and I think the job for me now is obviously to do my best to keep it going, and in a few years hopefully to reflect and look back, and appreciate what I managed to achieve in these last few months,” said Francesco Molinari.

Meanwhile, Hampshire’s Justin Rose will be hoping to end a 100-year winless streak for English players at this event.

The World No. 2 is looking to bounce back from a disappointing Masters, which belied a strong run of form in the opening months of 2019 – which the 2013 US Open champion blamed on a change in his preparation for the event.

Rose will be looking to add the Sam Wanamaker Trophy to his US Open crown and regain the World No. 1 spot from Dustin Johnson, who has the 2016 US Open as his sole Major victory.

He said: “I’m definitely happy with my form. But I’m also kind of working at it, as well.

“I think Charlotte was a nice bounce-back after Augusta for sure – a week where I worked hard at my game as well as being able to compete.

“I had a good week at home this last week. I felt like the preparation that I put in for Augusta didn’t go well, so I’ve tried to change it up a little bit coming in here.

“So I’m coming in a lot fresher. It’s a golf course that I know quite well here, said the North Hants GC member.

“I’ve played in ’09 and I played the two Barclays events here, as well.

“So I felt like it was a golf course I didn’t have to come up and research too much. I had some good notes in my yardage book.

“So last week was about freshening up but also working really hard. Had all my team come down and practice with me at home.

“I’m feeling good, feeling ready, and looking forward to getting going tomorrow,” added Rose, who has regular caddy “Fooch” back on the bag after his return at Augusta, following a major heart operation during the winter.

Schauffele plays down hopes of first Major

MASTERS runner-up Xander Schauffele, who had to bow before the legend that is Tiger Woods at Augusta National, is many people’s tip to break into the winner’s circle at the Majors during 2019.

But Schauffele is not getting carried away by all the talk about his prospects, despite his victory at the Tour Championship at East Lake, in 2017.

He said: “I’m not really at a point where I’m walking out here with a huge head thinking I’m the big guy.

“I still feel like I’ve got to do all my homework and kind of keep my head down.”

“Plow right through is not what comes to mind when thinking of this course. I played 27 holes and it’s pretty straightforward.

“You have to golf your ball, and you definitely can’t fake it out here. Everything is right in front of you, and you’ve just got to go get it.

“I think everyone is sort of adjusting to the new schedule. I think we’re pretty excited about it.

“It’s nice to have one major a month, and it sort of rewards a good stretch of golf if you have it in you.

“Hopefully we can sort of trickle off what we did a month back,” said the San Diego pro.

“I haven’t looked at past scores and I don’t really know what to expect of scores coming out on Thursday.

“I’m glad that the weather is warming up a little bit or the back nine will be a little rough, but I think overall, I have the same happy-go-lucky attitude.”

Last year’s US Open winner Brooks Koepka is the defending champion this week after his victory at Bellerive, in St Louis, having had to wait just eight months to put the Wanamaker Trophy on the line.

•For live scoring in the first round of the USPA click here.

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