Watch: The Season of Rory Ends With a Bang

After stepping into his role as face of the PGA Tour, Rory McIlroy ends the season on top and with a hard earned payday. Plus, what's next for the Presidents Cup.

In a season where he won three times, Rory McIlroy's 2022 may be remembered as much for his actions outside of the ropes as in the fairways. As LIV Golf shook up the professional golf landscape it was McIlroy who staunchly defended the PGA Tour at every turn and did so again in the moments that followed his third FedExCup triumph. 

Just about as soon as the final putt dropped at East Lake, what had been speculated became official as Cameron Smith gave LIV Golf its first top-15 player, leading a wave of six new players to join the tour. They make their debut this weekend. 

With the jump to LIV by Smith and Joaquin Niemann, Captain Trevor Immelman's task of delivering a competitive International squad at the President's Cup is becoming a near impossibility. Fortunately he will have mainstays like Hideki Matsuyama (who reportedly turned down a massive offer from LIV) and Adam Scott, but others in the team room may be wise to carry their credentials with them at Quail Hollow. 

All that and a tweak to the European Ryder Cup selection process packed into this week's edition of Up and Down.