Hovland beats McCarthy in playoff to win PGA Memorial

WASHINGTON: Norway´s 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. Seventh-ranked Hovland, Sunday´s only player to birdie the 17th hole, and McCarthy, whose lone bogey came at 18, each fired a two-under par 70 to finish 72 holes on seven-under 281 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.