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.
Hovland and McCarthy each carded a two-under par 70 on Sunday to finish level on seven-under par after 72 holes 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.
Rory McIlroy, who started Sunday in a share of the lead on six-under, had seven bogeys as his challenge fizzled out.
He finished with a round of three-over par 75, dropping to three-under par and a share of seventh place.
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.
“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.”
On a day when the average score soared above 75, world numbe one Scottie Scheffler — who made the cut on the number and began Sunday five strokes adrift — fired a 67 to finish third on six-under par, one shot out of the playoff.
South Korea’s Kim Si-woo, a 54-hole co-leader alongside McIlroy, was fourth after closing on 73 with Americans Jordan Spieth and Andrew Putnam on four-under.
