McGirt Edges Out Curran for First Win

William McGirt may have only shot a one-under in his final round at the Memorial Tournament, but sometimes it’s not about putting up a mind-boggling score. Sometimes, it’s about holding steadfast as those around you begin to crumble.

McGirt edged out Jon Curran in a two-hole playoff that only saw the 18th hole at Muirfield Village Golf Club. They both sank par putts during the first playoff hole and shuffled all the way back to the 18th tee to run it back one last time.

Both McGirt and Curran got off the tee without a problem but it was Curran’s iron shot that had him kicking himself. Curran’s iron shot in the second playoff went long and landed in the gallery behind the 18th green. Curran would go on to bogey the hole, leaving the door open for McGirt.

Needless to say, McGirt didn’t falter. McGirt squeezed out his third straight par on the 18th hole and was crowned victorious.

Overall, the final round was unkind to those near the top of the leaderboard at the start of the fourth day. Both Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland carded a one-over 73 in their last rounds to drop them both out of contention. Emiliano Grillo and Adam Hadwin struggled even more so than Kuchar and Woodland, shooting two-over on their rounds.

However, there were a couple of outliers this past Sunday. Dustin Johnson shot a one-under 71 but came up one stroke short to give himself a chance at the trophy. Johnson would finish with sole possession of third place.

Rory McIlory was another outlier. McIlroy had a stellar final round shooting a four-under 68 to put his aggregate score at 13-under, landing him with Kuchar, Woodland, and J.B. Holmes tied for fourth place.

Next week, the PGA Tour heads to TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennesse for the FedEx St. Jude Classic.