NORTON, Massachusetts: World No. 1 Rory McIlroy fired his second consecutive four-under 67 on Monday to capture the PGA Tour’s Deutsche Bank Championship by one shot over South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen.
McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, finished at 20-under-par 264 for his third victory of the season. He now has five career PGA Tour wins.
“I didn’t finish off the way I would have liked,” McIlroy said. “But I got there in the end. I’m very happy.”
Oosthuizen closed with an even-par 71 on the TPC Boston to finish solo in second at 19-under at the $8 million tournament. The 2010 British Open champion lost earlier this year to Bubba Watson in a playoff at the Masters. Tiger Woods parred eight consecutive holes beginning at the 10th and then made birdie on 18 for a final round five-under 66. Woods finished third at 18-under-par 266.
Dustin Johnson (70) and Phil Mickelson (66) tied for fourth at minus-14 in the Monday finish. It marked Mickelson’s best finish since the Masters, where he placed in a tie for third.
The 23-year-old McIlroy, who won the PGA Championship last month, vaults into the top spot in the FedEx Cup standings.
He joined Woods as the only three-time winners on the PGA Tour this season but he had to overcome a couple of mistakes on the final holes to do it.
With a half dozen holes to play, McIlroy had a three-stroke lead. He began to stumble a bit down the stretch before recovering with a key bogey on the 17th hole. “That was more survival the last few holes,” said McIlroy, who earned $1.4 million in prize money for the win. “It’s my third victory of the year and it’s great to get a victory in these playoffs.”
Oosthuizen, of Mossel Bay, missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that would have got him into a playoff. “I started off a bit shaky, but I played really well (down the stretch),” said Oosthuizen, who battled through the pain of a chest injury. “I might just take a rest until Thursday.”
Woods began his round by making an early charge with four birdies on the front nine and then finished with a nice birdie on No. 18.
Charley Hoffman parred the final hole and managed to slip into the top 70 in the FedEx Cup race which qualified him for the third playoff event next week in Indianapolis.
Johnson is hoping his 70 will help him get selected to the US Ryder Cup team. Brandt Snedeker shot a closing 67, which will help him in his bid to make the team.
Team USA captain Davis Love will announce his Ryder Cup picks Tuesday in New York.
McIlroy claims Deutsche Bank Championship
McIlroy claims Deutsche Bank Championship
Al-Rajhi leads strong Saudi contingent for Dakar Rally 2026
- The event returns to the Kingdom for the 7th year in row from Jan. 3 to 17, featuring more than 800 competitors from 69 countries in 433 vehicles
- Though the local spotlight will be on defending champ Yazeed Al-Rajhi and established stars Dania Akeel and Yasser Seaidan, there is plenty of emerging Saudi talent to watch as well
JEDDAH: As the Dakar Rally returns for a seventh year to Saudi Arabia next week, what began in 2020 with a handful of local entrants from the host country among the international stars has evolved into a confident and sizable national presence at one of the toughest events in motor sports.
Saudis are set to play a central role as the competitors cruise through the country from Jan. 3 to 17, with no fewer than 25 drivers and co-drivers from the Kingdom taking part this year, including 10 graduates of the Saudi Next Gen program.
Much of the spotlight inevitably will fall on defending champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi, and established competitors such as Dania Akeel and Yasser Seaidan, but they are joined by an impressive roster of emerging talent.
Established Saudi stars
The Saudi contingent is led by Al-Rajhi, who returns for his 12th Dakar as the reigning champion after a landmark victory 12 months ago. Other successes at major international rally-raid events — including wins at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, Rallye du Maroc and Desafio Ruta 40 — have firmly established his place among the elite in the “Ultimate” category.
“Winning the 2025 Dakar Rally was only the beginning,” Al-Rajhi said. “I am preparing for Dakar 2026 with full determination and focus. I will fight stage-by-stage. The car is ready, the team is ready and the ambition has no limits.”
In the “Challenger” category, Akeel continues to set the benchmark ahead of her fifth Dakar. She has earned a reputation for consistency, highlighted by an eighth-place T3 finish at Dakar 2022, and the FIA T3 Baja World Cup title in 2021.
Partnering once again with navigator Sebastien Delaunay, Akeel will compete in the Taurus by BBR Motorsport as she targets a podium finish.
Strength and depth across categories
Beyond the headline names, the Saudi presence at Dakar is underpinned by a selection of other experienced competitors. Yasir Seaidan is lining up for his ninth Dakar, after finishing third in the SSV category at the event in 2024 and securing the World Rally-Raid Championship SSV title the same year.
Saleh Al-Saif adds further depth to the SSV class, with six Dakar appearances under his belt, including a sixth-place finish in 2024, along with two Jordan Baja victories.
The Saudi representation extends to other categories. Tariq Al-Rammah will compete in the T5.2 Truck class for the fifth time, while Ibrahim Al-Muhanna will make his seventh Dakar appearance in the Classic Truck category, following a third-place Stock finish in 2024.
Ahmed Al-Jaber, Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera and Badr Al-Hamdan will represent the Kingdom in the motorcycle category.
The next generation
A defining feature of Dakar 2026 is likely to be the emergence of fresh talent from structured national pathways of development. Several graduates of the Saudi Next Gen program, for example, will make their Dakar debuts, reflecting the Kingdom’s growing focus on long-term development of talent.
Hamza Bakhashab lines up at the event after a standout season that included victories at the 2025 Saudi Baja – Hail and the Jordan Baja, a debut at WRC Rally Saudi Arabia 2025, and the Saudi Next Gen 2025 title.
Abdullah Al-Shegawi will also make his Dakar debut, as the second selection through the Saudi Next Gen program.
Khaled Al-Feraihi will make his Dakar debut in the Ultimate class, while Majed Al-Thunayan returns for a second appearance in the Stock category.
A growing motor sports ecosystem
From participation in the early years of the Dakar’s Kingdom era to recent championship successes, Saudi Arabia’s Dakar story has evolved into a sustained presence built on experience, ambition and long-term vision.
The 2026 event, the seventh Dakar Rally hosted by Saudi Arabia, will feature a prologue followed by 13 competitive stages across 14 race days, showcasing the diverse landscapes of the Kingdom.
The event will bring together more than 800 competitors of 69 nationalities in 433 vehicles. It is staged under the supervision of the Kingdom’s Ministry of Sport, and organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation in partnership with the Saudi Motorsport Company.
