I

n a sport where one stroke can separate glory from humiliation, American Billy Horschel has certainly seen both sides of the coin.

During the second event of the Fedex Cup Playoffs three weeks ago at the Deutsche Bank Championship, he had a golden opportunity to force a playoff with fellow American Chris Kirk on the 18th hole.

Instead, with millions watching the live broadcast, he hit his third shot into the hazard and sunk any chance he had to win. Horschel would later say: '€œYeah, I just felt, you know, there'€™s some inner belief in me that when I need to do something, I can do it. Unfortunately I hit a really bad 6-iron in there. Maybe I'€™ll get that victory next weekend and it will be even better.'€

The following week, Horschel did exactly that. Most players would have great difficulty recovering from such a blunder, but Horschel backed his words up with a brilliant win at the BMW Championship the following week in the third Fedex Cup event.

He went into the final Fedex Cup event, the Tour Championship, in second place; a win would get him the US$10 million prize. Horschel was asked what it would mean to win the money.

He responded: '€œThe $10 million for me, when I think about the chances of winning that, I'€™m not thinking too much about it. But for me it just means that people that made sacrifices for me to be here and to be playing the game I love to death, I can take care of them a lot more. That'€™s my parents. That'€™s my brothers and some other family members and friends.'€

At home in Florida, Billy'€™s wife is two weeks away from giving birth to their first child. With this in the back of his mind, the 27-year-old Horschel was under pressure from a number of directions.

Horschel went to work early at East Lake Golf Club (par 70), posting a superb four under par 66 to share the lead with Chris Kirk after the first round.

It was Horschel all the way in round two when he delivered another four under par 66 to move to eight under par for the event with none other than world number 1 Rory McIlroy stepping up to second place at six under.

With flawless iron shots and stellar putting, Horschel was able to get to nine under after three rounds. McIlroy shot a solid three under par 69 in round three to tie Horschel at nine under par going into the final round.

The excitable Horschel said: '€œYeah. Can we just go ahead and tee it up right now? I mean seriously. I'€™m serious. I would love to go tee it up right now. It would help me out a lot,'€ when asked about being paired with McIlroy for the final round.

Once again the incredible Horschel did not disappoint. After five holes he was two under par at 11 under and one stroke ahead of McIlroy, who had one birdie through five holes.

After Horschel hit his tee shot safely onto the green on the diabolical par three fifth hole, McIlroy stepped up to the tee. He then did the unthinkable.

He lost control of his tee shot, which drifted left into the water. The Irishman would never recover after making a double bogey five and falling three strokes behind Horschel, who twice putted for par to stay at 11 under. Horschel played steady golf on the back nine with $10 million on the line and made a sensational par save on the par four 16th hole with a long putt. He later said: '€œYeah, the putt was huge on 16. And I put the best stroke on it I could and got up to the top of that ridge and I'€™m like, man, this looks like it'€™s going into the hole. Had a little bit of steam to it and it went in there dead center. That was just a great feeling.'€

En route to claiming the $10 million payoff, Horschel capped off his incredible run by finishing second, first and first again in the final three Fedex Cup events after missing the cut in the first event. At 27, Horschel becomes the youngest ever Fedex Cup champion.