WASHINGTON: Patrick Cantlay powered to an eight-under par 64 on Sunday to claim his second US PGA Tour title at the Memorial by two strokes from Australian Adam Scott.
Cantlay, 27, went into the final round four strokes behind overnight leader Martin Kaymer whose bid to end a near five-year victory drought faded with a final round 72 that left him in third place.
Cantlay’s bogey-free effort was the best final round by a winner in the history of the Jack Nicklaus-hosted tournament at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. The former US collegiate star, whose career was nearly derailed by a back injury, was coming off a tie for third at the PGA Championship, one of seven top-10 finishes this season.
He indicated on Saturday that 18-time major champion Nicklaus had given him some advice on how to close out tournaments. “He said just to relax and have fun, and look around and see all the people having fun and try and smile and just have a good time with it,” Cantlay said. “That’s why you’re there and I definitely felt like that today. I felt at ease.”
Cantlay’s previous tour title came in Las Vegas in November of 2017, when he won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open that was part of the 2017-18 season. He sealed his second win with a an up-and-down par from a greenside bunker on 18.
“It just definitely validates my confidence that I can play with the best players in the world and beating a field like this on a big golf course like this, this is very similar to a major championship setup with the rough and the big slopey fast greens, it does a lot for my confidence,” he said.
