World No. 1 Rory McIllroy let slip the chance to take delivery of a $US 11.4m FedEx Cup victory package when American Brandt Snedeker easily captured the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

Snedeker, 31 seized his second PGA Tour victory this year in winning in front of an appreciative crowd on the East Lake course.  He earned $US 1.4m in winning the Tour Championship and $US 10m in capturing the FedEx Cup.

McIlroy went into the Tour Championship having won two of the three prior FedEx Play-Off Series.

Brandt Snedeker $11.4m richer after capturing the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup, (Photo – www.pgatour.com)

But after Snedeker shot a third round 64, McIlroy then needed to finish in front of the American to collect the bonus pool but a shock round of fourth day 74 saw the double Major winner finish in a disappointing share of 10th place on one under par.

And despite Snedeker playing a wild tee shot down the last that landed into a grandstand the Nashville golfer carded a last round 68 for 10-under par tally and win by three shots from England’s Justin Rose who carded a 71.

However it was an emotional win for Snedeker given the son of his coach, Todd Anderson is in hospital following a serious car accident.

“I just had complete confidence in what I was doing out there today,” said Snedeker.

“I have a bunch of stuff going on in my world and stuff that’s more important than golf.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is priorities from being a parent and realizing how unimportant in the grand scheme of things tomorrow really is.  My coach is going through a tough time right now.  Tucker Anderson’s son, Todd was in a bad car accident last week, so it’s really kind of made all of us who know Todd kind of refocus everything and realize what’s really important.

“So that’s been a great help to us.  My family, my career, it was kind of a wake‑up call to us all to make sure what’s really important.

“This is just a golf tournament. It’s been kind of a blessing.  It’s not a blessing.  It’s a horrible thing, but it definitely gives you more, I guess, more focus, more reality of what’s really going on.

“So being a parent I think has helped a bunch in that too, realizing what’s really important.  It’s done a great job of getting me unfocused off golf.”

And when Snedeker went to visit Todd he asked him if he felt he could defeat McIlroy and win the FedEx Cup.

Snedeker said:  “Todd just smiled at me knowing that he felt I could do achieve that goal.”

England’s Luke Donald and American Ryan Moore shared third place on six under par.

Snedeker nows joins Tiger Woods (2007 & 2009), Vijay Singh (2008), Jim Furyk (2010) and Bill Haas (2011) as winners of the Fedex Cup.

McIlroy finished second in the final FedExCup standings, with Tiger Woods third, Nick Watney fourth and Phil Mickelson fifth.

A four-hole stretch on McIlroy’s front nine sent him spiraling away from the leaders. A poor tee shot at the fourth set up a bogey.  He then found the water with his tee shot at the par-3 sixth and ended with double bogey. He followed with another bogey at the seventh.

There was an incident at the 14th where McIlroy could be easily heard in discussion with a rules official after it was first thought he could have caused his ball to move but despite the rules referee appearing knowing what course of action to adopt, McIlroy was assessed as not having caused a break of the ruless.

McIlroy said he would leave the Playoffs with positive feelings instead of dwelling on not being able to secure the FedExCup.

“I knew what I needed to do,” he said.

“Brandt did what he needed to do and he played fantastic.”

Woods also put himself in a big hole early, with bogeys at the first and fifth holes and then a double bogey at the sixth. He steadied himself after that, but the damage had been done, as he finished with a 2-over 72.

More Details: FedEx Cup

Top-10 finishers