Five things we learned from the memorial tournament: Viktor Hovland wins big and Rory McIlroy falters

The latest elevated event saw the world’s best battle it out for glory at Muirfield Village for the Memorial Tournament, where one of the form golfers got the job done for the first time on U.S. soil. Viktor Hovland wins big Ad The Norwegian star has seemingly been trending in the right direction forever but hasn’t quite secured PGA TOUR victory No.4.

Until now. Ryder CupMcIlroy against LIV golfers joining Team Europe, but thinks Koepka should play for US31/05/2023 AT 18:15 After a series of strong results and near misses, including a tied 2nd and tied 7th at the U.S. PGA Championship and The Masters respectively, Hovland stayed patient to get the biggest win of his career at Jack’s place, affectionately named after tournament host Jack Nicklaus.

A par at the first play-off hole after a dramatic final round proved enough to see off Denny McCarthy and ensure a bumper pay day of US$3.6 million. The ball-striking machine was able to rely on his once maligned short game to assist him on his way to victory, which propelled the 25-year-old to a career high of World No.5. «I’ve been playing well,» Hovland said.

«I’ve just been trying to stay within myself and play my own game. It feels even better after a few close calls the last few months. »I didn’t feel I hit it my best this week but I just played smart and really relied on my short game.