Around the wider world of golf: Inbee Park won the RICOH Women's British Open on the LPGA/LET/other women's tours, becoming the third youngest player to reach 7 major wins (Tiger Woods and Mickey Wright were slightly younger); Kiradech Aphibarnrat won the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play on the ET; Kenny Perry defended his title at the 3M Championship on the Champions Tour; Patton Kizzire won the Utah Championship on the Web.com Tour; Daniel Miernicki won the ATB Financial Classic on the MacKenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada; and Annie Park won the PHC Classic on the Symetra Tour.
The winner of the Quicken Loans National has always been a proven PGA Tour winner. Always.
Until Sunday when Troy Merritt became the first player to win his first-ever PGA Tour event there.
It's not like Troy is unfamiliar with winning. You may remember that he won that season-long Kodak Challenge (and its $1mil paycheck) a few years ago. And before that he won the Mexico Open on the Web.com Tour.
It's been slim pickings for the 29-year-old since those days... but you wouldn't have known it, watching him on Sunday. His 67, with 2 birdies in the last 3 holes, was characterized by a relentless attack on the pins. There was no holding back, no backing off, and when Rickie Fowler tried to close the gap coming down the stretch... well, Troy simply wouldn't let him catch up.
If you'll permit me a small pun, you might say Troy won it on his own Merritt.
And now he's into this week's WGC-Bridgestone, as well as the Masters, TPC, and a few other big events next year. In addition, he gets his first Limerick Summary to go with his trophy. You know, I believe this is the first time a first-time Tour winner gets his first Limerick Summary at this event...
This first-timer’s hopes weren't derailedThe photo came from the tournament's upshot page at PGATOUR.com.
‘Cause Troy Merritt’s resolve didn’t fail.
Though the pressure was on
Troy hung tough all day long;
He fired straight at the pin, didn’t bail.
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