Jack Nicklaus, before his Memorial Tour, says he was approached by Kristoffer Reitan, who had never played the event before and was looking for its secrets. In response, Nicklaus said that his village of Muirfield WELCOMES all of them. Long hitters. Middle hitter. Short hitter.
But no everyone may wear the crown.
“I tried to design it so that we cater to everybody and try to give every type of player a fair shake.” Nicklaus said. “And when you understand that, you can’t just get up and hit it on every hole.
“I tried that in my early years. I didn’t do very well. So it’s a golf course that takes some patience and learning.”
Patience and learning? JT Postonyour youngest Memorial winner, can tell you all about it.
Entering the week, he had not won. Or top 10. Or top 25. He often said he’d play “a really good 63 holes” — but the PGA Tour, of course, requires nine more. Then, after a 70 in Thursday’s first round, he shot a seven-under 65 during Friday’s second round when most everyone else was all over the place. On Sunday, he had a four-shot lead entering the final round.
Then it slowly fell. He went 3 in a three-hit shutout. He played 9 in another three-putt. His direction was one. He bogeyed the par-3 12th after missing the green to the left with his tee shot. He was tied for the lead. He birdied the 13th after missing the green with his approach shot. He was out of the lead.
Patience and learning, though, right?
He birdied 14 on an 18-foot putt. He birdied 15. At the 16th hole, Poston, Ryan Gerard, Sam Burns, Wyndham Clark and Tommy Fleetwood were all tied for the lead. Gerard then led after a 36-foot birdie putt on 17, until Poston caught him on 18 with another birdie. In that one, he stuffed an iron to 7 feet, dropped the putt and fist pumped it.
First playoff hole. Pars.
Second playoff hole. Gerard with three nails. Poston got two and won. Then, as is customary, he shook Jack Nicklaus’ hand.
He has also shown that he is right.
Takeaway
Wow. Poston wins a marathon – and the biggest tournament of his career.
Breaking down the leaderboard
– Sunday’s final round begins with JT Poston holding a four-shot lead after he shot a three-under 69 earlier Sunday to complete a weather-delayed third round. Poston is 12-under, Ryan Gerard is eight-under, Sam Burns is seven-under, and Wyndham Clark and Tommy Fleetwood are six-under.
– Gerard makes the 456-yard, par-4 second on a 13-foot tee shot, and he moves three back of Poston. Poston is 12-under, Gerard is nine-under and Burns is eight-under.
– There is leaderboard movement on the 393-yard, par-4 third hole. Post bogeys the hole in a three-putt; Gerrard disappointed after missing the green to the left with his second shot; and Burns birdies after hitting his second shot to 3 feet. And the leaderboard reads like this: Poston is 11-under; Burns is nine under; and Gerard is eight-under.
– Gerard birdies the 527-yard, par-5 5th hole in a 9-footer to move two back of Poston. Poston is 11-under, and Burns and Gerard are nine-under.
– Poston birdies the 445-yard, par-4 6th hole after hitting his second shot to 5 feet, and his lead is back to three shots. Poston is 12-under, and Burns and Gerard are nine-under.
– Clark bogeys the 417-yard, par-4 9th hole after hitting his second shot to 3 feet, and he moves three back from the lead. Poston is 12-under, and Clark, Burns and Gerard are nine-under.
– Has a two-putt swing on the 9th. Poston bogeys the hole in a three-putt, Burns birdies a 23-foot putt – and Poston’s shot is one. Poston is 11-under, Burns is 10-under, Clark and Gerard are 9-under, and Fleetwood is eight-under.
– Clark makes the 593-yard, par-5 11th with a 6-foot putt and he moves one back of the lead. Poston is 11-under, Clark and Burns are at 10-under, and Fleetwood and Gerard are at 9-under.
– Gerard aces the 11th with a 10-footer, and Clark walks the 184-yard, par-3 12th after hitting the bunker left of the green. The leaderboard reads as follows: Poston is 11-under, Burns and Gerard are at 10-under, and Clark and Fleetwood are at 9-under.
– There is a tie at the top as Poston bogeys the 12th after missing the green with his shot. Poston, Burns and Gerard are at 10-under, Clark and Fleetwood are at 9-under, and Eric Cole and Alex Fitzpatrick are at eight-under.
– Poston is out of the lead after he bogeys the 448-yard, par-4 13th hole as he misses the green with his second shot. Burns and Gerard are at 10-under, Clark, Fleetwood and Poston are at 9-under, and Fitzpatrick, Cole and Kristoffer Reitan are at eight-under.
– Poston retires as he tees off on the 374-yard, par-4 14th on an 18-foot tee shot, and has a three-way tie at the top. Burns, Poston and Gerard are at 10-under, Clark and Fleetwood are at nine-under, and Fitzpatrick and Reitan are at eight-under.
– There is a new leader. After Clark hits the 549-yard, par-5 15th, Fleetwood spells it as he hits a 4-footer from 240 yards. Fleetwood is 11-under, Clark, Poston, Gerard and Burns are at 10-under, and Fitzpatrick, Reitan and Cole are at eight-under.
– Gerard, Poston and Burns all birdied the 15th in short shots, and there’s a four-way tie for the lead. Fleetwood, Burns, Poston and Gerard are 11-under, and Clark is 10-under.
– Clark tees off on the 200-yard, par-3 16th with a 9-foot tee shot and has a five-way lead at the top. Clark, Fleetwood, Burns, Poston and Gerard are all under 11.
– Fleetwood bogeys the 484-yard, par-4 17th, and has a four-way tie for the lead. Clark, Burns, Poston and Gerard are 11-under, and Fleetwood is 10-under.
– He bogeys 17 as his second shot sails right and ends up on a bridge, and his first shot ends up about an inch left of the hole. Then a few minutes later, Gerard holes in a 36-foot putt and he takes a one-stroke lead. Gerard is 12-under, Clark and Poston are at 11-under, and Fleetwood and Burns are at 10-under.
– On the 482-yard, par-4 18th, shots from Gerard, Poston and Burns find the fairway and, in front, Fleetwood and Clark are even. On second shots, Gerard hits 39 feet, Poston hits a 7-iron and Burns hits 10 feet. On the birdie putt, Gerard runs his 5-footer past the hole, Burns misses to the left and Poston makes his – Gerard makes his par to send the tournament into a playoff.
– The playoff starts on the 18th hole. In the tip shot, Poston hits the fairway, then Gerard hits the fairway. On the second shots, Gerard hits to 37 feet, then Poston hits to 8 feet, almost exactly where he was in regulation. In the birdie putts, Gerard misses just to the right of the hole, then Poston misses to the right. They go to a second playoff hole.
– The second playoff hole is back to the 18th hole. On tee shots, Poston hits hard right and Gerard hits hard left. On the second shots, Gerard hits 53 feet, then Poston hits 28 feet. On birdie putts, both players miss to the right. On the first few shots, Gerard misses his 5-footer to the right, then Poston makes his 3-footer, and Poston wins the Memorial.
The last word
“Too many holes. Too much gravel.” – Posts on CBS after his round
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