DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Steve Stricker finally found the winning formula at the Memorial on Sunday.
Stricker, who had never finished in the top 10 in his 11 previous trips to Muirfield Village, built a big lead on the front nine and then relied on his silky putting stroke for two clutch pars to hang on for a one-shot victory.
He closed with a 4-under 68, lagging from 20 feet for a two-putt bogey on the 18th hole. By then, the hard work was over. Stricker twice saved par from bunkers on the 16th and 17th holes, making putts of 15 feet and 7 feet to go to the last hole with a two-shot lead.
Matt Kuchar and Brandt Jobe each closed with a 65 to tie for second.
Stricker moves to No. 4 in the world and becomes the highest-ranked American for the first time in his career.
