After a stunning birdie on the 18th hole, JT Poston wins the Memorial in a playoff

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After a stunning birdie on the 18th hole, JT Poston wins the Memorial in a playoff

Jack Nicklaus, before his Memorial tournament, says he was approached by Kristoffer Reitan, who had never played the event and was looking for its secrets. And Nicklaus said his Muirfield Village welcomes everyone. They are not long hitters. Average hitters. Short hitters.

But only those with a good head can wear the crown.

“I tried to design it so we could take care of everybody and try to move every type of player,” Nicklaus said. “And when you get that, you can’t just stand up and just hit every hole.

“I tried that in my early years. I didn’t do very well. So it’s a golf course that takes a little bit of patience and learning.”

Patience and learning? JT Poston, your new Memorial winner, can tell you all about that.

A week in, he still hasn’t won. Or top 10’d. Or over 25’d. He said many times, he would play “a really good 63 holes” – but PGA Tour tournaments, of course, require nine more. Then, after a 70 in Thursday’s first round, he shot a 7-under 65 in Friday’s second round, when most of the crowd was everywhere. On Sunday he led by four strokes going into the final round.

Then he fell a little. He hit 3 putts on three putts. He bogeyed 9 on another three-putt. His lead was one. He played the par-3 12th after missing the green to the left with his tee shot. He was tied to the front. He bogeyed the 13th after missing the green with his tee shot. He was coming out ahead.

Patience and learning, though, right?

He hit 14 birdies with an 18-foot putt. He hit 15 birdies. At the 16th hole, Poston, Ryan Gerard, Sam Burns, Wyndham Clark and Tommy Fleetwood all tied for the lead. Gerard then took the lead after a 36-foot birdie putt on 17, until Poston caught him on 18 with another birdie. In that one, he hit the iron 7 feet, dropped the putt and dropped the punch.

First playoff hole. Episodes.

Second playoff hole. Gerard was placed three times. Poston took two and won. Afterwards, as always, he shook hands with Jack Nicklaus.

You proved him right, too.

The takeaway

Wow. Poston wins the marathon – and the biggest tournament of his career.

Leaderboard breakdown

– Sunday’s final round begins with JT Poston holding a four-shot lead, after shooting a three-under 69 last Sunday to complete his weather-delayed third round. Poston is 12-under, Ryan Gerard is 8-under, Sam Burns is 7-under, and Wyndham Clark and Tommy Fleetwood are 6-under.

– Gerard birdies the 456-yard, par-4 2nd on a 13-foot putt, and 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 3rd hole. Poston bogeys the hole in three putts; Gerard bogeys after missing the green on the left with his second shot; and Burns birdies after hitting his second shot to 3 feet. And the leaderboard reads: Poston is 11-under; The temperature is 9-below; and Gerard is eight years younger.

– Gerard birdies the 527-yard, par-5 5th hole on a 9-footer to move two back of Poston. Poston is 11-under, while Burns and Gerard are nine-under.

– Poston drives the 445-yard, par-4 6th hole after hitting his second shot 5 feet, and his lead is back to three shots. Poston is 12-under, while Burns and Gerard are nine-under.

– Clark birdies the 417-yard, par-4 9th hole after hitting his second shot to 3 feet, and is three back from the lead. Poston is 12-under, while Clark, Burns and Gerard are nine-under.

– There are two swings at 9. Poston bogeys the hole on a three-putt, Burns birdies a 23-foot putt – and Poston’s lead is one. Poston is 11-under, Burns is 10-under, Clark and Gerard are 9-under, and Fleetwood is 8-under.

– Clark birdies the 593-yard, par-5 11th on a 6-foot putt, and moves one behind for the lead. Poston is 11-under, Clark and Burns are 10-under, and Fleetwood and Gerard are 9-under.

– Gerard birdies the 11th with a 10-foot putt, and Clark bogeys the 184-yard, par-3 12th after hitting the left green. The leaderboard reads as follows: Poston is 11-under, Burns and Gerard are 10-under, and Clark and Fleetwood are 9-under.

– There is a tie at the top, after 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 bogeyed the 448-yard, par-4 13th hole after missing 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 repeats, as he drives the 374-yard, par-4 14th into an 18-foot putt, and there’s a three-way tie at the top. Burns, Poston and Gerard are at 10-under, Clark and Fleetwood are at 9-under, and Fitzpatrick and Reitan are at eight-under.

– There is a new leader. After Clark birdies the 549-yard, par-5 15th, Fleetwood eagles it, after hitting a 4-footer from 240 yards. Fleetwood is 11-under, Clark, Poston, Gerard and Burns are 10-under, and Fitzpatrick, Reitan and Cole are eight-under.

– Gerard, Poston and Burns all birdied 15 short putts, and there is a four-way tie at the top. Fleetwood, Burns, Poston and Gerard are 11-under, while Clark is 10-under.

– Clark birdies the 200-yard, par-3 16th on a 9-foot putt, and has a five-way lead at the top. Clark, Fleetwood, Burns, Poston and Gerard are all 11-under.

– Fleetwood bogeys the 484-yard, par-4 17th, and there is a four-way tie at the top. Clark, Burns, Poston and Gerard are at 11-under, while Fleetwood is at 10-under.

– Burns bogeys 17 after his second shot goes right and ends up on the bridge, and his par putt finishes about an inch to the left of the hole. Then a few minutes later, Gerard holed a 36-foot putt, and took one shot. Gerard is 12-under, Clark and Poston are 11-under, and Fleetwood and Burns are 10-under.

– On the 482-yard, 4th 18th, shots of Gerard, Poston and Burns find the fairway, and, in front, Fleetwood and Clark make measurements. On the second shots, Gerard hits 39 feet, Poston hits the iron to 7 feet, and Burns hits 10 feet. For birdie putts, Gerard runs his 5 feet past the hole, Burns misses to the left, and Poston makes – Gerard makes his par putt to send the tournament into the playoff.

– The playoff starts on the 18th hole. On tee shots, Poston hits the fairway, and Gerard hits the fairway. On the second shot, Gerard hits 37 feet, and Poston hits 8 feet, almost exactly where he was in regulation. For birdie putts, Gerard misses just to the right of the hole, and Poston misses to the right. They entered the second qualifying round.

– The second playoff hole is back to the 18th hole. On tee shots, Poston hits the rough to the right, and Gerard hits the rough to the left. On the second shot, Gerard hits 53 feet, and Poston hits 28 feet. For birdie putts, both players miss to the right. For par putts, Gerard misses his 5-footer to the right, then Poston makes his 3-footer, and Poston wins the Memorial.