JT Poston secured his second PGA Tour win, edging Ryan Gerard in a playoff after both players were drawn in by dramatic late swings at the Memorial Tournament. Poston birdied the 18th in regulation to force extra holes, then made par on the second playoff hole
JT Poston didn’t just survive the Memorial Tournament’s pressure—he turned it into a sprint to the finish.
Birdies at the right moments dragged him back into contention. and then. on the 18th hole in regulation. he hit a brilliant approach shot to 7’5″ and rolled in the birdie that forced a playoff. When the dust settled, Poston made par on the second playoff hole to lift the Memorial title over Ryan Gerard.
Gerard’s day started with him chasing the lead. He entered Sunday 8-under, two shots back of Poston. The round carried him forward almost seamlessly—until one mistake on the third hole. A bogey there was the only blemish as he stacked five birdies along the way.
On the back nine, Gerard tightened his grip on the moment. He drained a 36-footer on the 17th to get to 12-under par, then holed a 5-foot slider on the 18th to make the playoff. It was the kind of finish that doesn’t just change scores—it changes the air in the building.
Poston’s path to the finish had its own wobble. He came into Sunday with the lead, but “around the turn” he collapsed to the pack. Bogeys on 9, 12, and 13 dropped him all the way to 9-under. After that, he fought back with two bounce-back birdies to tie the lead late in the day. From there, the 18th delivered the deciding swing.
The playoff itself offered a stark contrast of timing. Gerard missed first—Poston missed a similar birdie putt on the first playoff hole, giving Gerard an extra chance. Then Poston steadied himself and made par on the second playoff hole to close the door.
Sam Burns had a solid Sunday round, but the closing stretch didn’t hold up. He finished 10-under, two shots back of the playoff line, undone by a brutal approach shot on 17. Burns had to hit a chip off of a footbridge and nearly made the putt for a par. Once that putt missed, his chances were dashed.
Even with the title decided at the end. the Memorial story had plenty of movement before it ever reached a playoff. Tommy Fleetwood began the final round six shots behind the leader but managed to take the solo lead momentarily on the back nine. He struck an incredible second shot on the par-5 15th to become the first player at 11-under. A bogey on 17 ruined his chances at a win. but his Sunday output still mattered—he shot 68. finishing two shots behind.
Wyndham Clark’s attempt at back-to-back wins also ended just short. Clark had won his most recent start—the CJ Cup Byron Nelson two weeks ago—but at The Memorial. one tee shot prevented him from picking up a second straight title. He dumped his tee shot on the par-13 12th into the bunker, leading to a bogey. He rallied with birdies on 15 and 16 to get to 11-under, but it wasn’t enough.
The major-chasing backdrop was there too. Both Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler were in the field at Jack’s Place, but neither found a way to contend through the finish. McIlroy has never won the Memorial and couldn’t recover from a Friday 74. He shot 68 on Sunday to finish T12.
Scheffler had the momentum coming in—he had won the last two events at Murfield Village—but he also ended up alongside McIlroy at T12 after a rough Thursday round. For Scheffler. the next step is already a weight in the calendar: he’ll be vying for the career Grand Slam at Shinnecock. If he completes it, he would become the seventh man to win all four majors, including McIlroy and Nicklaus. McIlroy, meanwhile, is looking for his second major of the season after winning the Masters.
Next week, the PGA Tour moves on with the RBC Canadian Open teeing off at TPC Toronto. It’s the last event before the U.S. Open, which takes place at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island.
Ryan Fox won in a playoff with Burns last year, and Burns will be looking to bounce back from two disappointing finishes as the tour heads toward the stretch that matters most.
Poston, though, will let this one sink in first. It’s his second PGA Tour win, won the hard way—first by forcing the playoff with a birdie on the 18th, then by making par on the second extra hole to beat Gerard and finish the week on his terms.
JT Poston Ryan Gerard Memorial Tournament PGA Tour golf playoffs Wyndham Clark Tommy Fleetwood Sam Burns RBC Canadian Open U.S. Open Shinnecock Hills