DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — David Lingmerth didn’t crack over the final two hours Sunday at the Memorial, outlasting Justin Rose with a par on the third playoff hole at Muirfield Village to win for the first time on the PGA Tour.
Showing great resolve and little emotion, Lingmerth gave a soft fist pump when his putt just inside 5 feet on the 10th green dropped. He earned every bit of that handshake with tournament host Jack Nicklaus.
“I can’t believe it,” the 27-year-old Swede said. “I’m so happy right now I don’t know where to go.”
He’ll be going to the Masters next year for the first time ”“ but not the U.S. Open in two weeks. Lingmerth moves to No. 71 in the world and still has to qualify Monday.
It was the longest playoff in 40 years of the Memorial, and it could have ended much earlier ”“ or been avoided ”“ if not for so many clutch moments.
Rose overcame a shank from a bunker on the 18th hole in regular and hit a 55-yard pitch out of deep rough to 3 feet to save par for an even-par 72 to force the playoff. On the 18th in the playoff, Rose holed a 20-foot par putt that went in from the right side of the cup. That looked as if it might be a winner until Lingmerth calmly sank a 10-foot putt to match his par.
On the 18th on the second extra hole, Lingmerth got up-and-down from a bunker.
It ended on the 10th hole when Rose when into deep rough, hit a fairway metal into the gallery, chipped 18 feet by the hole and missed his par putt. Lingmerth two-putted from 45 feet.
Lingmerth closed with a 69. So strong was his performance that he didn’t make worse than par over his final 11 holes.
Tiger Woods showed improvement ”“ it was hard not to after a career-worst 85 on Saturday. He shot 74 and finished last, 29 shots behind, with his worst 72-hole score (302) in his PGA Tour career.
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