In the Memorial Tournament final round, Rory McIlroy was unsuccessful as Norwegian Viktor Hovland surged to victory in thrilling manner following a play-off at Muirfield Village.
Hovland’s final-round score of 70 earned him a spot in a sudden-death match against McCarthy. McCarthy appeared to be headed for his first PGA Tour victory as he approached the 18th hole, but his first bogey of the round dropped him back to seven under par after 72 holes.
They returned to the 18th hole, where Hovland, the world’s seventh-ranked golfer, needed only par to win his fourth PGA Tour championship.
McIlroy’s dismal round of 75 on Sunday resulted in him being tied for eighth.
The Northern Irishman was aiming for his first tournament victory since the Dubai Desert Hero Classic in January when he entered his final round tied for the lead at six under par.
In Ohio’s windy conditions, the world No. 3 chipped in at the fourth hole to take the lead alone, much to the joy of the spectators. However, he made bogeys on three of the next four holes, dropping him behind McCarthy.
McIlroy had a chance to get back into the race after making a birdie at hole 11, but he fell three shots behind the leaders after making a bogey at hole 12.
McIlroy lost another stroke at the 13th hole due to continued issues with his putter, thus ending his challenge.
McCarthy had a stroke of luck on the 14th hole when his tee ball went straight into the woods but had a lucky bounce back out into the fairway, allowing him to save par. McCarthy again had luck on the next hole when a superb putt prevented him from losing a shot.
McCarthy maintained his lead with a crucial par putt on 16, but Hovland’s birdie at 17 but more pressure on the American, whose bogey on the penultimate hole allowed Hovland a chance to save par.
Both players turned around and retreated to the 18th, where McCarthy missed a long putt for the victory before Hovland converted a shorter effort to win.
“I just played smart, played my game, and I came up clutch this time, but yeah it feels even better after a few close calls in the last few months,” Hovland said.
“I didn’t feel like I played at my best the entire week,” she said. I simply played very strategically, cautiously, and heavily depended on my excellent short game this week. Winning one of these contests without simply ball-striking it to death is enjoyable. I can now rely somewhat on my other assets as well.
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