RIDGELAND, S.C. — The final steps on Rory McIlroy’s long road back to No. 1 go down on the scorecard as bogeys, which made him laugh.
All that mattered Sunday was winning the CJ Cup, and that about made him cry.
The 33-year-old from Northern Ireland earned the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking for the ninth time by holding off Kurt Kitayama and enduring a nervous moment at the end with a three-putt bogey that gave McIlroy a 4-under-par 67 and a one-shot victory at Congaree Golf Club.
More than the ranking, it was realizing how far he had come with so much support behind the scenes that made his voice slightly choke with emotion.
“This tournament last year was the start of me trying to build myself back up to this point,” McIlroy said. “I had a really rough Ryder Cup. I think I was outside the top 10 in the world — it’s not a position that I’m used to being in.”