Story highlights
Matt Kuchar wins Memorial Tournament by two shots from compatriot Kevin Chappell
Defending champion Tiger Woods ties for 65th after carding a level-par round of 72
Five-time winner Woods suffers a triple-bogey for the second successive day
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy finishes tied for 57th after also finishing with a 72
There are only two multiple winners on the PGA Tour this season – one of them is in top form ahead of the U.S. Open, and the other is Tiger Woods.
Matt Kuchar moved up to second place in the FedEx Cup standings with victory at Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament on Sunday, having finished runner-up last weekend at the Crowne Plaza Invitational.
It is the first time the American has won more than once in one season, having also claimed the World Golf Championships Match Play title in February.
His four-under-par 68 in the final round was crowned by a 21-foot birdie at the last hole which left him two shots clear of fast-finishing Kevin Chappell, who is still waiting for his breakthrough win.
The biggest names in the field – world No. 1 Woods and second-ranked Rory McIlroy – were respectively nine and 13 shots off the pace after both carded par 72.
Read: Tiger rues ‘rough day’ at Memorial
For defending champion Woods, Sunday’s effort was a relative relief after Saturday’s nightmare 79 – his equal second-worst score as a professional – but he triple-bogeyed the par-three 12th hole that he had doubled in the third round. He also had a triple on Saturday.
The American has won this event five times, but is struggling to regain the form that has already brought him four victories this season ahead of the second scheduled major at Merion in Pennsylvania starting June 13.
“You want everything clicking on all cylinders, especially at the U.S. Open, because everything is tested in the U.S. Open,” he said.
Woods is still four short of Nicklaus’ record 18 major titles, and has not won one since the 2008 U.S. Open. He was eight over the card at Muirfield Village.
“It wasn’t that bad today,” Woods said. “It was just one hole that cost me obviously a few shots. It happens, it happens to us all.”
McIlroy is also struggling for form ahead of the tournament that provided his first major win in 2011.
“I hit the ball much better today. I actually putted a little better, too. A little bit of work next week – yeah, it’s not that far away,” the Northern Irishman said after finishing in a tie for 57th.
“It’s just a little bit of an adjustment and something I can work on and something it was good to figure out this week, so I can work on it next week.”
Kuchar, who has yet to win a major, was delighted after taking home the $1.16 million first prize in front of his wife and two children.
“It’s such an amazing feeling, this stuff never gets old,” the 34-year-old Ryder Cup player said after his sixth PGA Tour victory. “To win this and have Jack Nicklaus congratulate me is a real treat.”