Rory McIlroy edges out Louis Oosthuizen in thriller

Rory McIlroy (GETTY IMAGES)

Rory McIlroy overturned a three-shot final-round deficit to squeeze past South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen and win the Deutsche Bank Championship by one stroke at TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts last night.

The world No 1's final-round 67 gave him victory with a 20-under-par total of 264, just ahead of former Open champion Oosthuizen, whose late surge was not quite enough as he finished with a 71.

McIlroy, who won the PGA Championship by eight strokes three weeks ago, had made a blistering start to his final-day challenge with three birdies in his first four holes. The 23-year-old Northern Irishman was fortunate to pull back on the fifth hole when his bogey five beat a double-bogey by Oosthuizen, who fell further behind when McIlroy birdied the sixth and eighth.

A run of seven straight pars from Oosthuizen promised little before birdies on the 13th and 15th hauled him back within a single stroke. After both bogeyed the 17th, pars on the last were enough to give McIlroy the title.

Tiger Woods shot a strong five-under-par final round of 66 to finish just one shot behind Oosthuizen on 18 under - four shots clear of Phil Mickelson, who also finished with a 66.