Rory McIlroy let slip an historic Holywood Golf Club first and also missing out on a maiden Memorial tournament victory toast following a frustrating final round in Dublin, Ohio.
McIlroy grabbed the early final round lead but it turned pear-shaped for the World No. 3 in posting a closing score 75 for an eventual share of seventh place at three -under in the Jack Nicklaus hosted.
McIlroy was also looking to match the stunning winning effort of 20-year-old Tom McKibbin, who upstaged McIlroy in capturing a maiden DP World Tour title in 20 events less than McIlroy when he won for a first time in 2009.
It wasn’t to be for McIlroy when back-to-back bogeys at seven and eight before three bogeys in succession from the 12th simply sucked the victory wind from his sails ahead of this week’s defence of his RBC Canadian Open title.
An incredible touch from @McIlroyRory 💪 https://t.co/pZnP77AWiI pic.twitter.com/NQ8NGCEJ9y
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 4, 2023
Norwegian sensation Viktor Hovland, and with Aussie-born caddy Shay Knight on the bag, won in a play-off at the first extra hole after both he and American Denny McCarthy finished tied at seven-under, and with each player signing for a closing 70.
Hovland pared the first extra hole to a McCarthy bogey. It is Hovland’s fourth PGA Tour win and an eighth pro success worldwide.
Shane Lowry joins McIlroy heading north to Toronto and following week’s US Open feeling short-changed after his Memorial showing.
Lowry posted a disappointing Muirfield Village closing day one-over 73 to finish ‘Jack’s event’ in 16th place at even par.
Lowry was off to a poor start after an opening hole bogey before birdies at both the par-5 fifth and seventh holes, and make the turn at one-under.
He dropped a further shot at the 12th but quickly bounced back holing a 21-footer for a birdie ‘3’ at the 13th but was in the wars at the next, sending his second shot into water guarding the green and walking off with a humbling double-bogey ‘6’.
The Offlay golfer birdied the 15th but gave the shot back at the 17th.
“I am pretty happy with how I played but I feel like, and it’s kind of like my whole season this year, in that I didn’t get the result that I felt like my golf deserved this week”, said Lowry.
“Overall, I am very happy where my game it at.
“There were stages of the tournament yesterday and today where I had the chance to do very well but then there were shots like a bad shot on 14, and other than that it was pretty solid golf all day.
“It is just so hard out there and one the hardest golf courses I’ve ever played. The course this week was like the hardest I have ever seen it. It’s not going to take much to win this tournament and that’s why I thought to myself playing the back nine that if I got to five or six under that I would not be packing my bags.
“Overall, I am pretty happy as I have some big tournaments coming up including the Canadian Open this week and following by the US Open, and with the US Open our next major and that is the one I have my eye on”.
Earlier in the day, Seamus Power birdied two of his closing four holes but also in a disappointing two-over-par 74 for an eventual share of 43rd at four-over.
Unlike McIlroy and Lowry, Power is not joining them in Toronto, Canada and will next tee-up in the June 12th starting US Open in Los Angeles.
It will be only Power’s second US Open after a superb T12th result a year ago.
