WASHINGTON (AFP) – Norway’s Viktor Hovland parred the first extra hole to defeat American Denny McCarthy in a playoff on Sunday to win the Memorial tournament for his fourth US PGA Tour title.
The 25-year-old from Oslo, a runner-up in last month’s PGA Championship, had not won on tour since the 2021 World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico.
Seventh-ranked Hovland, Sunday’s only player to birdie the 17th hole, and McCarthy, whose lone bogey came at 18, each fired a two-under par 70 to finish 72 holes on seven-under 281 at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.
In the playoff at the par-4 18th hole, McCarthy found the right rough and pitched into the fairway while Hovland reached the green in two. McCarthy missed a par putt from just inside 12 feet and Hovland sank a par putt from just inside seven feet for the trophy.
“I’ve been playing well. I’ve just been trying to stay within myself and play my own game.
Maybe before I would have fired at some pins I shouldn’t have fired at.
“I just played smart, played my game and came up clutch this time.”
Hovland contended late at the Masters before settling for a share of seventh and shared third at The Players Championship in March as well as his PGA runner-up effort, making the Memorial triumph that much sweeter.
“Feels even better after a few close calls the past few months,” he said. “It’s fun to win one of these without ball-striking it to death. Now I can rely on some other strengths as well.”
It was a gut-wrenching loss for McCarthy, who settled for his best PGA Tour result. He led down the final holes with clutch par putts only to bogey 18 in regulation and the playoff after missing the fairway off the tee.
“I battled really hard,” McCarthy said. “Heartbroken right now, but a lot of positives to take from this week. My putter kept me in it when I was a little shaky. Hit a lot of good golf shots this week.”
On a day when the average score soared above 75, top-ranked Scottie Scheffler – who made the cut on the number and began Sunday five strokes adrift – fired a 67 to finish third in 282, one shot out of the playoff.
