Stricker grinds out 10th career victory

Steve Stricker held on to win the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio before admitting he had to grind out his 10th career victory.

The American had four up and down rounds at Muirfield Village but all of them were in the 60s as he held on to beat Matt Kuchar and Brandt Jobe by a stroke.

Stricker, who finished at 16 under par, said after clinching the win with dusk fast approaching following rain delays: “It wasn’t pretty!

“It was a little bit of a struggle after the rain delay and at that point I was just trying not to make a mistake.”

Stricker was leading by two before bogeying the 18th in what proved to be a somewhat tense finish.

“I had a couple of chances early that would have taken the pressure off. And I made a couple of clutch putts at the end.”

Dustin Johnson was alone in fourth at 12 under, some four off the lead but ahead of Rory McIlroy by one stroke.

The Northern Irishman was there or thereabouts all week without making a real push when it mattered.

Indeed, he was five off Stricker at the start of the final day and said after his 68: “You know you’re going to have to do something pretty special.

“I felt as if I played really well this week, I just made a few too many mistakes, which really cost me. We’ll have to try and cut those out before the US Open in a couple weeks’ time. But there’s definitely a lot of positives to take from how I’ve played this week.”

Stricker birdied five of the opening eight holes to increase his lead to four shots after Kuchar and Jobe took advantage of a huge wobble from Jonathan Byrd, who began the day in second place but tumbled after a bogey on the third and a double-bogey on the eighth.

At eight-under, new world number one Luke Donald was in a six-way tie for seventh alongside Byrd. Phil Mickelson was one further back after finishing with a best-of-the-week 67.