NORTON, Mass. -- Three holes into the Deutsche Bank Championship, Rory McIlroy had to make a 15-foot putt just to escape with triple bogey.He already was 4-over-par and had every reason to believe this tournament was headed for an outcome that was becoming far too familiar for a player of his class. But there was one difference.His head didnt drop. His shoulders didnt sag.McIlroy went from a miserable start to a memorable finish, closing with a 6-under 65 on Monday to make up a six-shot deficit and win the Deutsche Bank Championship for his 20th career title around the world.Its just incredible, this game, how quickly things can change, McIlroy said after his two-shot victory over Paul Casey. Its been a great lesson for me this week not to get down on myself, to stay patient. After three holes Friday, there was so much going through my head, and none of those things involved sitting beside a trophy.Not just a trophy, but a belt, too.Deutsche Bank gave him the blue belt with a large silver buckle when McIlroy won four years ago, and because this was the last year it is sponsoring the tournament, the company wanted him to keep it.World heavyweight title, McIlroy said of the belt.Not quite, but certainly a step in that direction.A new putter, a new putting coach, and suddenly he looks like the McIlroy of old. It was his first PGA Tour victory of the year and moved him to No. 4 in the FedEx Cup, all but assuring him a clear shot at the $10 million bonus when he gets to the Tour Championship at the end of the month.In a strengthening wind from Hermine that penalized the slightest misses at the TPC Boston, McIlroy closed out the front nine with three straight birdies to take the lead for the first time, went ahead to stay with a 20-foot birdie on the 12th hole and left no doubt with a 3-wood into the wind and over the hazard on the par-5 18th hole that set up a birdie from the bunker.Casey, who started the final round with a three-shot lead in his bid for his first PGA Tour victory since 2009, closed with a 73. He had a 60-foot eagle putt on the final hole that would have forced a playoff. It went 8 feet by and he missed the meaningless birdie putt.Wow, very impressive. Yeah, thats a might round of golf, Casey said of McIlroys finish. I struggled a little bit from the get-go and its hard to regain rhythm and make your birdies if you started out that way, so I found it incredibly difficult. I battled well, did a lot of things brilliantly all week, but obviously frustrated.The only consolation for Casey was that his runner-up finish moved him from No. 59 to No. 10 in the FedEx Cup, assuring a spot in the Tour Championship for the first time since 2010. PGA champion Jimmy Walker closed with a 70 to finish third.The top 70 advance to the BMW Championship, which starts Thursday at Crooked Stick in Indiana. Among those who moved into the top 70 was David Hearn of Canada, who came into the week at No. 92. Hearn closed with a 70 and tied for eighth.McIlroy, who finished at 15-under 269, moves back to No. 3 in the world.The 27-year-old from Northern Ireland fell out of the Big 3 conversation earlier this year when Dustin Johnson won the U.S. Open, Henrik Stenson won the British Open and McIlroy kept sliding, largely because of his putting. His only victory was the Irish Open in May, and when he missed the cut in the PGA Championship, he sought out popular British putting coach Phil Kenyon. McIlroy also switched putters last week at Bethpage Black, though he was at the bottom of the pack in putting.Not this week.He didnt need to make everything in the final round, with his driving and short game setting up three early birdies. But he made an 18-foot birdie on the par-3 eighth, and followed that with a 10-footer on the ninth to make the turn in 31.As the wind picked up, no one could stay with him.I wasnt getting impatient. I wasnt searching, McIlroy said. I know that I hadnt won on the PGA Tour in a while, but over the past 12 months, Ive still had three wins worldwide. ... I knew my game was in good shape, I just needed to do something with the putting. I found something. I still need to keep going with it. Its definitely not the finished article, but its a big step in the right direction.Fake MLB Jerseys . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. Fake NHL Jerseys . -- Ohio States Urban Meyer has never had any issue acclimating to the biggest stages in college football. https://www.fakejerseys.us.com/ . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said. Fake NBA Jerseys .com) - Following a late-game loss to the reigning NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors will look to sustain their recent high-level play as they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers. Fake Jerseys .Y. -- Bills receiver Stevie Johnson has a bone to pick with the NFL schedule maker.Manchester City missed a golden opportunity to make the Champions League final against the worst Real Madrid side in recent history, according to Guillem Balague.After the first leg at the Etihad ended in a 0-0 draw, Fernandos 20th-minute own goal eliminated the last Premier League side in the competition and sent Real through to a Madrid derby final. Sky Sports Spanish football expert was critical of both sides performance in the semi-final tie - and does not rate Reals chances of beating local rivals Atletico Madrid in the Milan showdown later this month. As Atletico and Real Madrid get set to meet again in the Champions League final, look back at the past meetings between the sides Balague also reflects on Manuel Pellegrinis time as City boss ahead of his summer departure...Man City could have beaten Real Madrid Gareth Bale celebrates Real Madrids winning goal against Manchester City Manchester City lost a golden opportunity to get to the Champions League final. This is the worst Real Madrid side in recent history. Last year, it was a better Real Madrid. They managed to get 22 consecutive victories the year before, and one year before that they won the Champions League. Any Real Madrid team under Jose Mourinho would also have beaten this one. Its a poor Real Madrid.In my eyes, before the game, they were the fourth-worst team in the semi-finals. There were so many problems, so many ways they could be beaten, that it felt like an organised team who could create enough danger - say by a decent Kevin de Bruyne or Sergio Aguero move - could have beaten them.Although not very often, Manchester City have shown this season that their best version can beat almost anybody. But I was wrong - Real Madrid were only the third worst side in these semi-finals. Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane insists Manchester City made it difficult for his side in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final tie How is it possible that there are not better sides?I dont think what happened in this tie was a reflection of the Spanish league versus the English league. I feel Leicester City would have created many more problems for Real Madrid, but it certainly showed us a very poor Manchester City, who hardly had a shot on goal against the eighth-worst defence in La Liga. Work to do for Pep Manchester Citys Champions League exit showed the scale of the task facing Pep Guardiola. Real Madrid, who missed Casemiro especially in the second half, defended far too deep after scoring the goal, partly because they were scared one City goal would have knocked them out and partly because Toni Kroos could not do Casemiros job of being aggressive in pressurising and pushing the team further up. Real gave the ball to City and the result was very disappointing - no penetration, slow movement, no running of the ball, nothing. It is just a bad reflection on the Champions League this season that you get these two poor teams at this stage. How is it possible that theres not better sides? What makes it worse is the contrast between these sides and the other two in the draw. Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid have got a clear idea of what they want to do, based on repetitive training sessions, interventionist coaches and blind faith from the players in their leaders on the bench. Vincent Kompany was taken off after ten minutes with a suspected groin injury Manchester City and Real Madrid base their football on very similar ideas. It is all player-based - they organise themselves with six or seven behind the ball and then whhen they have possession, its about individual talent and the quality of the players.dddddddddddd Theres no organised attack and not enough team effort.Pellegrini hasnt made this side his ownWhat was worrying is that there was not even an organised defence at the end; I couldnt tell you what the style of Manchester City is, based on these two semi-finals. I dont know if they want the ball or not and I dont know how they defend. Im very confused and disappointed because I do think Manuel Pellegrini is a good coach, but it doesnt seem like he has made this side his own - it doesnt look anything like the Malaga side or the Villarreal side that made him famous. Manuel Pellegrini was unhappy with the amount of chances that his team failed to create but felt that they did not deserve to lose at the Bernabeu For me, it is a team without personality, without style and they showed it very clearly in this tie. The ones who were supposed to be the stars of the team were missing - like Aguero, De Bruyne and Yaya Toure - and were miles away from making any impact whatsoever. I disagree with Pellegrini, I dont think they deserved to draw and I think Real Madrid had more chances and created enough to go through, but this Real side are miles away from Atletico Madrid as it stands.Ronaldo is diminishing while Bales star is growingCristiano Ronaldo was obviously not 100 per cent as he admitted himself after the game, and will be better for the final of course, but his impact has been reduced this season. Even though he is still scoring in the games, you dont see so much of him. Manchester City lost a golden opportunity to get to the Champions League final. This is the worst Real Madrid side in recent history. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague But the good news is Gareth Bale has risen to the occasion right at the end of the season. Its pleasing to see and I fully agree with him that he better understands his role and what he has to do. He now knows when he has to pass, when he has to dribble, when he has to go one versus one, and so on. And that can only be good for Real Madrid - just at a time the star of Ronaldo is diminishing while Bales star is growing. Gareth Bale disagrees with Manuel Pellegrinis comments that Real Madrid were lucky to progress in the Champions League I think that is why Bale is now considering renewing his contract because he feels that Ronaldo - now his role is reducing - has been forced to let him grow. Either he has been forced or he accepts that now Bale is a star as well. Whatever the reason, it makes Bale more comfortable and having Karim Benzema makes the team more complete, but I feel its still miles away from what Atletico Madrid can offer.It will be Atleticos nightPeople may disagree with me, but I think Bayern Munich were the best of the four teams that were left in the competition. I think they are more complete in the way they defend and attack, but that is why we love football. Atletico Madrid did what they had to do and got through. Now they are, in my eyes, favourites to win it and have lost just once to Real over the last two seasons - winning five and drawing three. Real will now play local rivals Atletico in the final - but Balague thinks the latter win be favourites to lift the trophy I spoke to Koke during the season and I knew that they had in their heads the defeat against Real Madrid for two years so they put a lot of energy in returning to a final to just get rid of that bad dream. I am convinced in Milan, it will be their night.Also See:Own goal ends Citys hopesKompany limps out of Real clashWork to do for PepPellegrini: Real were lucky ' ' '