DUBLIN, Ohio — Two holes of sudden were needed for Bryson DeChambeau to claim the championship trophy at the 2018 Memorial Tournament.
Soon after claiming the victory, he got the coveted congratulatory handshake from tournament host Jack Nicklaus.
“Just to be able to win his event is such an honor – he’s the greatest to play,” DeChambeau said. “I’ll say it time and time again, this is probably the most important win of my entire career — because it happened here at Jack’s course and also it gives validity to me being out here on tour.”
DeChambeau came to the 18thgreen at Muirfield Village Golf Club tied for the lead with playing partner Kyle Stanley at 16-under and both bogeyed the final hole to drop to 15 and bring Byeong Hun An into a playoff.
Playing 18 again, DeChambeau and An parred while Stanley was eliminated with a bogey.
It was back to the 18th tee for the second hole of sudden death.
DeChambeau had hit his second shot to about 11 feet above the hole and sunk the birdie putt to capture his second PGA victory.
An hit his second shot into the gallery to the left of the pin and was able to chip close.
“I couldn’t do any better with the third shot,” An said. “I knew he would make the putt and I tried to chip it in, but he hit a good putt.”
Patrick Cantlay, who held the lead for a while Sunday but had three bogeys on the back nine, finished fourth, one shot off the lead. Peter Uihlein shot a bogey-free 66 to move up and finish fifth, two shots back.
Along with a little more than $1.6 million for winning the Memorial, DeChambeau also jumps up to fourth place in the season-long FedEx Cup standings and has put himself in position to earn a spot on the Ryder Cup team. The U.S. will take on Europe’s best this September in France.
DeChambeau was a member of three U.S. teams as an amateur.
“Every single time it was the coolest experience to be able to represent your country,” he said.
The Howley Report 