Winds and Rose fail to stop Lingmerth from lifting title
DUBLIN: Sweden’s David Lingmerth downed Justin Rose with a par at the third play-off hole on Sunday to win his first US PGA Tour title at the Memorial.
Hours after 14-time major champion Tiger Woods wrapped up the worst-scoring tournament of his career with a lonely final round, Lingmerth and Rose took the tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus the distance and beyond.
Both twice parred the 18th in the playoff before moving to the 10th for the third hole of sudden death. Lingmerth found the fairway while Rose was in the right rough, the 2010 Memorial winner from England firing out through the green and into the gallery. His chip left him 17 feet to the cup, while Lingmerth was on the green in two.
The Swede two-putted from 42 feet — draining his four-footer for par to seal the win.
Lingmerth and Rose finished regulation tied on 15-under 273, Lingmerth closing with a three-under par 69.
Rose shook off an errant shot from a bunker that struck a spectator at the final hole of regulation, hanging on to make par and complete a 72 and force the play-off.
It was all of a piece with his late round — a bogey at 16 that saw him fall out of a share of the lead before he curled in a 10-footer at 17 to regain it.
Lingmerth and Rose returned to 18 to open the play-off, where Rose’s long par putt made a sharp left turn at the cup to drop, and Lingmerth holed a 10-footer to match him.
Lingmerth got up and down from a bunker to match Rose’s par at the second play-off hole — also 18.
Woods was long gone before the playoff drama unfolded, having teed off alone as the last-placed player in the field of 71 in the wake of his career worst 85 in the third round.
He posted a two-over 74 on Sunday and the five-time winner of the Memorial finished with a 14-over par total of 302, his highest 72-hole total ever.