Viktor Hovland wins the Memorial Tournament via play-off as Rory McIlroy challenge fades

Viktor Hovland defeated Denny McCarthy in a play-off to win the Memorial Tournament as Rory McIlroy suffered a disappointing final round in Ohio.

Hovland parred the first extra hole at Muirfield Village to win his fourth PGA Tour title after he and McCarthy had finished tied on seven under par.

The 25-year-old Norwegian had birdied the 15th and 17th to set the clubhouse target following a closing 70 and then saw McCarthy drop his first shot of the day on the 18th.

McCarthy then bogeyed the same hole in the play-off to miss out on a maiden PGA Tour win.

FINAL LEADERBOARD

McIlroy, who tied the lead overnight and briefly held it outright following an early birdie on Sunday, saw his challenge fizzle out with three bogeys in four holes towards the end of his front nine.

After recovering to even par for his round and five-under overall with a birdie at the par-5 11th, McIlroy's hopes definitively ended with three successive bogeys on 12 to 14.

While he gained a stroke back on 15, another dropped stroke arrived at the penultimate hole for a closing 75 and a tied-7th finish on three-under.

"I did what I wanted to do," McIlroy said. "I thought if I could stay patient and put my ball in play off the tee, which I did pretty much all day, I only hit it in the long rough once...

"I was in the first cut three times and then the rest of the time I was in the fairway. So I did what I wanted to do, I just missed a few shots and those two bogeys on the par fives on the front nine were unforced errors.

"Once I was one over through nine holes and Denny was at eight under for the tournament, it's hard to chase on that golf course the way it's playing.

"I hit a couple of loose shots on the back nine that at least I know where they're coming from,