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26

2019 Murray Injured As England Destroy McIlroy Wins FedEx

28th, E n g l a n d Ireland At Twickenham Cup And Revamped

issued a pow-
August erful state-

of the World
| ment ahead Tour Championship
EXAMINER w h e l m i n g t
Cup by over-
Ireland 57-15
a
IRISH Twickenham
in a victory
that
set
records for highest score and greatest winning margin against
their Six Nations rivals.
Tries in each half by Joe Cokanasiga and additional touch
downs from Elliot Daly, Manu Tuilagi, Maro Itoje, George
Kruis, Tom Curry and Luke Cowan-Dickie indicated Eddie
Jones’ men will be genuine contenders in Japan this autumn.
At the heart of a second triumph of the summer’s four
warm-up Tests was man of the match Tuilagi, who bristled
with power and intent that tormented a vulnerable Irish
defense that fell to pieces in the second-half.
It was Joe Schmidt’s team who took first blood through an
early Jordan Larmour try, but their hopes of clinching the win
that would lift them to the summit of the global rankings at
the expense of Wales quickly disintegrated.
The greatest danger England faced was not from impotent
Ireland but sunburn as Twickenham roasted in temperatures
that peaked at 30 degrees, yet they were well equipped for ory McIlroy exor- world today, he got one over I’ll try to improve again for
broiling conditions having spent 10 days in a heat camp in cised two demons at on me in Memphis and I next year.
Treviso. Rthe same time after wanted to sort of try to get “I’ve given myself so many
Maro Itoje and Billy Vunipola were magnificent up-front, winning the Tour some revenge today so to chances. To win three times
while George Ford is arguing a strong case to reclaim the fly- Championship and FedEx play like that alongside is awesome. I feel like I could
half duties for the World Cup, but players excelled across the Cup title for the second Brooks and get the win, win have won more but to win
whole starting XV. time in four years to pock- the FedEx Cup it’s awesome. the FedEx Cup again, to keep
While England fans will be daring to dream would could et the $15 million (€13.5m) “It’s amazing how differ- giving myself chances even
unfold in Japan this autumn, their Irish counterparts must be first prize in Atlanta. ent things can be in a year.” when I was getting knocked
questioning whether a team that labored to third place in the McIlroy carded a closing McIlroy began the week by back, I’m very proud of
Six Nations are in full reverse. 66 at East Lake to finish 18 questioning the radical for- myself and I’m going to enjoy
And to add misfortune to misery, they also came off worse under par, four shots ahead of mat which saw the player this one tonight.”
on the injury count as Cian Healy suffered an ankle injury American Xander Schauffele. with the most FedEx Cup McIlroy began the final
before Conor Murray was withdrawn at half-time having ear- World number one Brooks points after the BMW round a shot behind playing
lier passed a Head Injury Assessment. C
Koepka, who held a one-shot Championship (Thomas) partner Koepka and both men
lead after the completion of starting on 10 under par. opened with five straight pars
Sexton and Henshaw Could Return For the delayed third round, ran The second-highest points before making a birdie on the
Wales Clash In Cardiff up a double bogey on the sev- earner began at eight under, par-five sixth, but the turning
Johnny Sexton and Robbie Henshaw are in line to feature enth and carded a hat-trick of the third-ranked player at point came at the next as
in Ireland’s crucial World Cup warm-up clash against Wales bogeys on the back nine to seven under and so on, on a Koepka made a double bogey
in Cardiff on Saturday. slip into a tie for third with sliding scale down to the following a lost ball off the
Fly-half Sexton and center Henshaw are yet to feature in Justin Thomas. players in 26th to 30th who tee and McIlroy holed from
Ireland’s warm-up schedule after a series of injury niggles. A year ago McIlroy played started on level par. 20 feet for birdie.
Head coach Joe Schmidt wants the experienced duo to add alongside Tiger Woods in the McIlroy started on five Koepka responded
“energy” after Saturday’s record 57-15 thumping by England final round as the 15-time under par and could therefore superbly to birdie the next as
at Twickenham, with Keith Earls, James Ryan and Jack major winner was victorious have shot the lowest 72-hole McIlroy enjoyed a major
Conan all primed for action too. at East Lake and just weeks score and still not have won stroke of luck when his pulled
Asked whether Sexton and Henshaw would feature in he ago he partnered Koepka the title, but in the end his approach hit a tuft of grass on
Wales, Schmidt said: “Yes, we’ll certainly look at that. Guys on the last day of the WGC- total of 13 under was the best the edge of a drain and
like James Ryan, Jack Conan, there’s a few more guys who FedEx St Jude Invitational, in the field by three. stopped short of the water.
could come into the picture next week and probably bring a carding a 71 to the “My goal today was to go Birdies on the 12th and
little bit of energy that we were lacking at Twickenham. American’s closing 65. and shoot the lowest score of 13th took McIlroy four shots
“So we’ll look at that. I think also guys like Keith Earls, “I didn’t enjoy that walk the week,” McIlroy added. “I clear and although he
those sorts of guys, we still feel will come in and add some last year like everyone else made those two bogeys on 14 bogeyed the next two holes
value yet. did, I played terribly,” admit- and 15 and a huge par save on and had to hole from eight
“We have a little bit of a plan, we have some guys who are ted McIlroy, who joins 16 and then was able to birdie feet on 16 to avoid an
operating on a pre-season that’s just coming to a close and Woods as the only two-time the last two. unwanted hat-trick, McIlroy
they will freshen up and get into the game next week or the FedEx Cup winners. “I got “Such a cool way to end effectively sealed victory with
week after, depending on how we feel they are going. myself in the final group and what has been for me a great a birdie on the 17th and
“But we certainly need to hit the ground running at the never took the fight to Tiger. season. I’ll look back on this rounded off the week in style
World Cup against Scotland, so we can’t afford to be mixing “Going up against the season and there’s been a lot with another on the par-five
and matching too much right now.” C number one player in the of good things I’ve done and 18th. C