Golf: McGirt earns first PGA Tour victory in 165 starts

William McGirt won for the first time in 165 starts on the PGA Tour, and the timing couldn’t have been better.

McGirt played the final 22 holes of the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio, without a bogey, and his 6-foot par on the second extra hole to beat Jon Curran, earn a handshake from host Jack Nicklaus and move high enough in the world ranking (No. 43) to get into the U.S. Open in two weeks at Oakmont.

McGirt, who made one birdie in his closing round of 1-under 71, kept it steady as everyone around him was falling apart on the back nine. His final par in regulation was the most important, a two-putt from 65 feet to join Curran in a playoff. Curran showed his mettle, too, hitting out of a fairway bunker on the 17th hole to 7 feet for a birdie that carried him to a 70.

They finished at 15-under 273, one shot ahead of Dustin Johnson (71), with Rory McIlroy (68) among those two shots behind.

McGirt was in trouble on the first playoff hole until he played expertly from the deep bunker short and left of the green, using the slope behind the hole for the ball to roll back to a few feet for par. Curran missed his 25-foot birdie putt for the win.

Returning to the 18th for the third time, both players were in trouble. McGirt went over the green from the fairway. Curran went from a fairway bunker into the gallery, pitched long and two-putted for bogey. McGirt played a superb flop shot than ran out just over 6 feet from the cup, and he clenched his fist before it even dropped in.

Jason Day, a Muirfield Village member who had never cracked the top 25, kept that streak going even though he started on Sunday in contention. Day closed with a 74 and tied for 27th, matching his best finish at the Memorial.

LPGA

Anna Nordqvist successfully defended her ShopRite LPGA Classic title in Galloway Township, New Jersey, closing with a 7-under 64 in breezy conditions for a one-stroke victory over Haru Nomura.

The 28-year-old Swede became the oldest tour winner this year by more than five years and the first to successfully defend a title since Inbee Park won the KPMG Women’s PGA for the third straight time last year.

Nordqvist finished at 17-under 196 on Stockton Seaview’s Donald Ross-designed Bay Course to tie the tournament record that Annika Sorenstam set in 1998 and matched in 2005. The 6-foot former Arizona State player earned $225,000 for her sixth tour title. She opened with rounds of 64 and 68.

Projected to jump from 19th to 16th in the world ranking, Nordqvist is the first European winner on the tour since Suzann Pettersen won the Manulife LPGA last June. In seven starts on the Bay Course, Nordqvist has five top-five finishes. She tied for fifth in 2011 and 2012 and tied for third in 2014.

Nomura, a two-time winner this year, was second after a 66. The Japanese player was the previous oldest winner this season at 23. France’s Karine Icher, the second-round leader after matching the course record with a 62, had a 69 to finish third at 14 under.

Champions Tour

Scott McCarron won the Principal Charity Classic in Des Moines, Iowa, for his first PGA Tour Champions title, birdieing the final three holes for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke victory.

The 50-year-old McCarron finished at 15-under 201 at the Wakonda Club to edge Miguel Angel Jimenez and Billy Andrade. Making his 17th start on the 50-and-over tour, McCarron won for the first time since taking the 2001 Bellsouth Classic for the last of his three PGA Tour titles.

Andrade had a 68 after shooting a course-record 63 on Saturday. Jimenez shot a 67.

Duffy Waldorf (67) and Joe Durant (71) tied for fourth at 11 under, and Tom Lehman (71) and Senior PGA winner Rocco Mediate (70) were 10 under.